House at 25 High School Avenue
Why it's listed
Built probably in the 1850s, this one-and-a-half story house on High School Avenue in Quincy is a Greek Revival cottage with a sidehall plan. It is sheathed in clapboards and rests on a Quincy granite foundation. Its details include a closed pediment, corner pilasters, stylized pediments over the windows, and a door with sidelights to the floor framed by flat pilasters and a pediment. A side wing from the late nineteenth century and a twentieth-century roof dormer are the major alterations, and neither is judged to harm its character. David W. Perry owned the house in 1876, and the Perry family kept it until the late 1910s, when it was sold to Edward J. Desmond, a blacksmith. Once a residence and now a dentist's office, the house is considered one of the best-preserved of the many similar cottages built in Quincy in the mid-nineteenth century, and it was listed for that architectural value.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the best-preserved examples in Quincy of a modest Greek Revival cottage, a type that was common in the mid-nineteenth century. It retains integrity of materials, design, location and feeling. It is significant at the local level under Criterion C.
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 89001352, 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 High School Ave., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001352 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; currently used as a dentist's office, originally a single-family dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.24528, -70.99882 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 89001352.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914176
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.