Child, Isaac, House
Why it's listed
This house at 209 Newton Street in Brookline began as a farmhouse associated with Isaac Child, whose family descended from Griffin Bowen, an early landholder. The form dates the building to before 1740 and notes that Child may have built a house here in 1715, although written evidence cannot place this house earlier than 1790. Heavy summer beams, wide floor boards, batten doors and strap hinges point to the reuse of materials from an older building. The house changed substantially in 1875, when Willard A. Humphrey raised it and converted it from two stories to three, adding the present ground floor with its heavy trim. Later work included interior changes in 1923, servants' quarters in 1928, and door and window alterations in 1953 and 1956. It was listed because it is an unusual surviving 18th century homestead, one of fewer than a dozen left in the town. It remains a residence on about four acres.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it meets criterion C as an unusual example of an 18th century homestead, one of fewer than a dozen remaining in the town. Heavy summer beams, wide floor boards, batten doors and strap hinges suggest older materials were used in its construction.
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 85003254, listed October 17, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 209 Newton St., Brookline |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | October 17, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003254 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect information not available; 1875 raising and alterations by Willard A. Humphrey |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the property has a garage and pool and vinyl siding. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 42.31057, -71.14345 (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 85003254.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6076135
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.