Curtis, Thomas, House
Why it's listed
Built about 1851 for Thomas Curtis, a boot and shoe manufacturer, this wood-clapboard cottage at 279 Franklin Street in South Quincy reflects the town's shoemaking past. Curtis led Thomas Curtis and Company, a factory active in the mid-nineteenth century, and was the son of Noah Curtis, an early figure in Quincy's shoe business. The house originally stood at 265 Franklin Street and was moved to its present lot in 1915 by Herbert Curtis. Its five-bay rectangular form is turned with the gable end facing the street. The steep gable and eave bargeboards come from the Gothic Revival, the arched gable window is Italianate, and the long ground-floor windows, corner pilasters and simple window frames show Greek Revival influence. A one-story rear addition from the 1920s suits the original design, while a 1930s garage is noncontributing. It is listed as one of Quincy's few intact carpenter-built houses of its kind.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to Quincy's nineteenth-century boot and shoe industry, the town's main industry in the 1850s. It is also one of a few well-preserved examples of a modest carpenter-built house that combines Gothic Revival, Greek Revival and Italianate details. It is considered to meet Criteria A and C and the exception for moved properties.
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 89001334, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 279 Franklin St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001334 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Thomas Curtis, builder; architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival/Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; in use as a single-family dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.23586, -71.00700 (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 89001334.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7788759
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.