Baxter Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Four two-family houses on Baxter Street in Quincy, Massachusetts, form a small enclave of workers' housing from the 1880s. John E. Drake, who operated one of the city's largest shoe and boot factories and employed about 250 men in the early 1880s, built them on former Josiah Baxter farmland. His factory stood a short distance away, and the houses were probably rented to factory workers. Each is a one-and-a-half story gable-roofed 'Quincy Cottage' with a projecting central entrance and twin dormers cutting through the eave line. Details vary from house to house, including shingle or stucco sheathing, Italianate brackets, Stick Style paneling and different porches or entrance hoods. Nearby houses on adjoining lots have been altered, which makes this group the best-preserved example of the type in Quincy. The district reflects how shoemaking moved from home workshops to factories and how shoe and granite industry leaders developed housing for laborers in South and West Quincy.
Significance in brief: The district is the best-preserved grouping in Quincy of the vernacular 'Quincy Cottage' workers' housing type. It is also tied to the growth of Quincy's 19th-century shoe manufacturing industry, since Drake ran one of the city's largest shoe and boot factories nearby. It is considered significant at the local level under Criteria A and C.
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 89001309, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly 19--34 Baxter St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001309 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | John E. Drake (builder/developer) |
| Architectural style | Quincy Cottage (vernacular), with Italianate and Stick Style details |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential and general condition is good; the garage at 26-28 Baxter Street is noncontributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.24898, -70.99569 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 89001309.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715396
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.