Faxon House
Why it's listed
Set on a hill above Adams Street in Quincy, this house began as an 1880 residence built for Job Franklin Faxon, a Boston flour merchant. In 1931 his nephew, Henry Munroe Faxon, a prominent Quincy real estate developer, had it remodelled for his son Robert. The Boston architects Shepard and Stearns wrapped the older building in an elaborate Colonial Revival envelope drawing on Georgian detail. Features include a large modillioned gable with an oculus, a projecting pavilion with a Palladian window and balcony above a recessed pilastered entrance, Ionic corner pilasters, and a balustrade around the hipped roof. The rear has dormers with alternating pediments and a Doric portico with decorative swags. An oriel window on the side survives from the original construction. The 1931 work coincided with the subdivision of nearby estates into large suburban houses. The nomination considers it the most elaborate Colonial Revival example of its period in Quincy.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is the most elaborately articulated example of Colonial Revival architecture of its period in Quincy. It retains integrity of design, materials, feeling, location and association with the city's 1930s suburban development. It qualifies under Criterion 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 89001310, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 310 Adams St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001310 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Shephard and Stearns (1931 renovation; also spelled Shepard and Stearns, of Boston) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is stated as good; the property has not been moved and has no outbuildings. Its present use is listed as original single family dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.25307, -71.01664 (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 89001310.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715466
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.