Building at 1-7 Moscow Street
Why it's listed
Located at the corner of Moscow and Hancock Streets in the Atlantic section of North Quincy, this long two-and-a-half story apartment block dates from the early 1900s. It was built to house four families and stands near the railway on Hancock Street, one of very few residential buildings in a commercial area. Its wood frame, hipped roof and shingled walls follow the Shingle Style, with two dominant gambrel gables on the main facade, compact massing, and decorated shingle work at the eaves. Bracketed overhangs on the gables shelter two recessed double entrances. Few apartment buildings were built in Quincy compared with streetcar suburbs such as Somerville and Dorchester, and most of those rose in the newly subdivided North Quincy neighborhoods. This building is regarded as the best example of its type in the city. It retains its original design, materials and setting, and records show owners including William E. Harmon in 1907 and carpenter and blacksmith Martin Purin by 1928.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the finest example of an apartment building in Quincy and a well-preserved Shingle Style multiple-family dwelling. It also reflects Quincy's rapid residential growth at the turn of the century. It is argued to meet Criteria A and C at the local level.
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 89001360, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1--7 Moscow St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001360 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good, with no major alterations and no outbuildings; still used as a multiple-family dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.27495, -71.02728 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 89001360.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4986533
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.