Davis, Dr. Frank, House
Why it's listed
Built in the 1890s at 25 Elm Street in Quincy, this Shingle Style house stands on a corner lot across from Christ Church, near the central business district. Dr. Frank S. Davis, a physician at Quincy City Hospital and a Boston University medical school graduate who began practicing in Quincy in 1879, built it and used it as both his home and his office. Its exterior is wrapped in continuous decorative shingles that form an unbroken skin, and a dominant sweeping gable shelters the recessed entrance and a shallow bay window. The house has had no major alterations. A clapboarded carriage house, original to the property and rare in Quincy, survives; its door was widened for automobiles in the 1920s and it became a garage in the 1950s. Another physician, Cornelius Lynch, bought the property in 1922. It was listed for its architectural quality and its local historical associations, and it is now a two-family dwelling in good condition.
Significance in brief: The house is described as one of the best preserved examples of the Shingle Style in Quincy, with a continuous shingle skin and a sweeping gable containing the recessed entrance. It is also associated with Dr. Frank S. Davis, a local physician who lived and practiced there. The original carriage house is rare in Quincy and adds to the integrity of the site.
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 89001330, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 25 Elm St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001330 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by Frank S. Davis |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as good. The house is currently a two-family dwelling, and the carriage house was converted to a garage. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.24672, -70.99862 (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 89001330.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5304095
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.