Elliot, Gen. Simon, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1824 at 61 Heath Street in Brookline, this one-and-a-half story cottage was constructed by General Simon Elliot, a Scotland-born man who came to America at 17 and earned his rank in the Continental Army. Elliot lived in Boston, kept several shops on State Street and owned mills and a nail factory in Newton. His daughter Sarah married the merchant Thomas Handasyd Perkins. The house later passed to his nephew, Simon Elliot Greene, and then to the family of John Sullivan Warren, who left money for planting shade trees along Brookline's streets. Architecturally, the house keeps its Greek Revival doorway with transom and sidelights, pilastered cornerboards, returns and gable-end siting. Later work added Gothic Revival arches, steep dormers and Colonial Revival pediments, dentils and modillions. Smaller than many Brookline Greek Revival houses but older, it was listed for its architecture and its layered alterations. It sits on about two and two-thirds acres, with an attached carriage house.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to meet criterion C as one of the oldest Greek Revival homes in Brookline. It keeps typical features such as pilastered cornerboards, returns, a doorway with sidelights and transom, and gable-end siting facing the street. Later Gothic Revival and Colonial Revival alterations are described as architecturally significant in their own right.
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 85003262, listed October 17, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 61 Heath St., Brookline |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | October 17, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003262 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | General Simon Elliot (builder, 1824); architect information not available |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (original), with later Gothic Revival (Tudor) and Colonial Revival alterations |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; original use was also residential. |
| Acreage | 2.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.32478, -71.14442 (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 85003262.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5530822
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.