Barker, Henry F., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1871 by Henry F. Barker, this Italianate house at 103 Greenleaf Street in Quincy sits on a generous corner lot one block from Quincy Center. Barker was a partner in his father's firm, Henry Barker and Sons, one of the largest granite dealers in Quincy, with quarries at Quincy and Lanesville. The father lived nearby on Greenleaf Street, surrounded by his sons. The firm promoted small paving blocks and built the country's first granite sawing machines in the late 1860s. The house is a compound L-shaped residence with bracketed bay windows, roundheaded windows under the eaves, a dentiled cornice with double brackets, and a corner porch with chamfered posts and a low balustrade. A low granite wall from about 1899 borders the lot. It is the most intact Italianate house on its street and one of two elaborate examples remaining in the city. It is clapboard-clad, unaltered, and in good condition.
Significance in brief: It is described as one of the most elaborate and the most intact Italianate houses on Greenleaf Street, and one of only two elaborate Italianate houses left in Quincy. It is also tied to the Barker family's granite firm, which was a major part of Quincy's 19th-century granite industry.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89001346, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 103 Greenleaf St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001346 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by Henry F. Barker; architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded as in good condition, in use as a single family dwelling, unmoved, with no major alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.25645, -71.00366 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89001346.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715531
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.