Bowditch, William Ingersoll, House
Why it's listed
This small wooden cottage at 9 Toxteth Street in Brookline faces Linden Square. Built around 1844-1845, it is an L-shaped vernacular Gothic Revival house with Greek Revival elements, including full-length sidelights, square-headed drip moldings over the original openings and two pointed-arch dormers. It was one of seven cottages in Thomas Aspinwall Davis' Linden Place development, an early planned community in the picturesque mode. William Ingersoll Bowditch, a Boston conveyancer, bought the property in 1845 and owned it until 1867. He served as a Brookline selectman and town meeting moderator and was an committed abolitionist. He used the house to shelter fugitive slaves, including a South Carolina couple in 1849-1850, and a son of John Brown was reportedly hidden there after the Harper's Ferry raid. Later alterations include aluminum siding, a moved front bay and added dormers, yet the house remains a modest example of Brookline's mid-century cottages.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to meet criteria A, B and C. It served as an Underground Railroad site where William Ingersoll Bowditch, a prominent Brookline abolitionist, sheltered fugitive slaves, including a son of John Brown. It is also an early part of Thomas Aspinwall Davis' picturesque Linden Place development and a modest example of Brookline's mid-century wooden cottages.
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 85003249, listed October 17, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 9 Toxteth St., Brookline |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | October 17, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003249 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Possibly Joshua E. Fernald; the historical text also credits the cottage to Joseph Fernald |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a single-family residence; the exterior is now clad in aluminum siding and the rear ell has been removed. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.33556, -71.11638 (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 85003249.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8012813
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.