Hotel Kempsford
Why it's listed
Hotel Kempsford is a brick and sandstone apartment building at 72 Walnut Street in Brookline, at the foot of High Street Hill. Built in 1875 as an apartment hotel, it was designed by Obed F. Smith for Eben Wright, who also built the neighboring Hotel Adelaide on the corner. The two buildings share an almost identical Victorian Gothic style. Distinctive details include patterned brickwork on the upper floor, stone banding and stone brackets. Wright lived in Nahant and rented units to people who worked in Brookline and to commuters who took the railroad from nearby Brookline Village to Boston. In an 1884 letter, Smith described the unit layout: parlor and dining room on one floor, bedrooms above, joined by a private staircase. He suggested it was among the earliest designs of this type. The building was listed for being a very early, possibly first, example of the duplex concept in apartment architecture. It still serves as an apartment house, with a 1928 two-car garage on the lot.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a very early, if not the first, example of the duplex concept in apartment house architecture. It is also a fine and unusual example of Victorian Gothic commercial architecture in Brookline. Its distinctive brick patterns, stone banding and stone brackets add to its character.
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 85003277, listed October 17, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 72 Walnut St., Brookline |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | October 17, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003277 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Obed F. Smith (architect); Eben Wright (builder) |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Presently used as an apartment house; apartments were modernized in 1975. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.33066, -71.11840 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 85003277.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5911644
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.