Crane, Frank W., House
Why it's listed
Built about 1902 at 11 Avon Way in Quincy, Massachusetts, this wood-shingled Colonial Revival house was erected by Frank W. Crane and his wife Jennie. Crane was a partner in F.H. Crane and Sons, dealers in hay, grain and flour, and the family lived here through the 1930s. The house sits on President's Hill, an area developed in the 1890s after the division of the Charles Francis Adams estate as an elite neighborhood for businessmen, civic leaders and Boston commuters. Its symmetrical three-bay facade features a central portico, a full-width porch, vase-shaped balusters, double Doric columns, urn-shaped finials and a Federal-style door with an elliptical fanlight and sidelights. A steep hip roof with hip dormers, corner pilasters and a wide cornice board complete the design. It is considered one of the best-preserved Colonial Revival houses on the hill and keeps its original design, materials and setting.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be one of the best-preserved Colonial Revival houses built on President's Hill in the early twentieth century, with fine Georgian details. It is also tied to the development of Quincy's affluent residential neighborhoods around 1900, when local businessmen, civic leaders and Boston commuters settled there. It meets 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 89001312, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 11 Avon Way, Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001312 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a single-family dwelling; condition described as excellent, with no major alterations, no outbuildings, and not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.25089, -71.00760 (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 89001312.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5490135
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.