Burgess, Charles H., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1903 at 17 Whitney Road, this Shingle Style house sits one block from Quincy Center and is now used as medical offices. Charles H. Burgess, a partner in the real estate auctioneering and appraisal firm Hall and Burgess, was its builder. By 1923 it belonged to Addie M. (Burgess) Rideout. Whitney Road is one of several streets east of Hancock Street developed with comfortable middle-class houses in the 1900s, mostly for businessmen and professionals who worked in Quincy. The house combines Shingle Style and Queen Anne elements: a two-story corner bay within compact, shingled massing, a curved shingled opening in the side gable, a saw-toothed shingle string course under the slight flare of the second floor, paired classical porch columns, irregular window placement, and a granite foundation. A 1980s replacement of the tower window with one-over-one sash did not compromise its integrity. It was listed for its local architectural and neighborhood-development importance.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be significant under Criteria A and C at the local level. It is a well-preserved example of Shingle Style design blended with Queen Anne elements, and it reflects the early twentieth-century residential development of Quincy Center by local businessmen and civic leaders.
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 89001381, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 17 Whitney Rd., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001381 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by Charles H. Burgess |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition good; present use as medical offices; originally a single-family dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.25382, -71.00454 (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 89001381.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5078537
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.