House at 19 Linden Street
Why it's listed
Built in 1843-1844, this clapboard house at 19 Linden Street in Brookline is a Greek Revival residence that has kept its original character. Its pedimented gable end faces the street, and the porch columns and frieze, main cornice and frieze, pilastered cornerboards and front doorway all reflect the style. A barn stands at the rear of the lot. It was built for John Turner, a partner in a Boston drygoods firm on Federal Street, who commuted to the city from Brookline before the railroad arrived in the late 1840s. The land belonged to the Davis farm and was subdivided into residential lots in 1843 as the Linden Place development, planned by Thomas Aspinwall Davis. Few houses from that subdivision survive amid modern infill. The house is considered the finest and most intact of the three Greek Revival houses on Linden Street, and it is a rare local example of the style. It remains in residential use with no major alterations.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the finest and best-preserved of three Greek Revival houses on Linden Street, with a pedimented gable end facing the street and a porch in fine condition. It is one of a small number of houses surviving from the 1843 Linden Place residential subdivision planned by Thomas Aspinwall Davis. It is also a rare local example of the Greek Revival style.
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 85003284, listed October 17, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 19 Linden St., Brookline |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | October 17, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003284 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built for John Turner, a Boston drygoods merchant |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; no major alterations; not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.33429, -71.11731 (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 85003284.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914052
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.