House at 32 Bayview Avenue
Why it's listed
Built in the 1880s as a summer residence, this Queen Anne house sits on a large corner lot in the Hough's Neck section of Quincy, with a view of Quincy Bay. It is a simple example of the style, with projecting gables, solid bargeboards and a large balustraded porch that wraps around three sides, supported by square posts and simple brackets. Reshingling and some window replacement followed a fire in 1941, but the building's architectural integrity remains intact. The house is regarded as the best preserved of a few late nineteenth-century houses left from the period when Hough's Neck was a busy summer resort. James Mears began developing the Great Hill section for summer homes in 1881 and was the probable builder. Steamers, a horse car railway and an electrified street railway in 1888 fueled the area's growth. The house is considered significant for its association with that resort development and for its design, and it is still a single-family home.
Significance in brief: It is described as the best preserved of a handful of late 19th century houses surviving from the time Hough's Neck was a prosperous summer resort. It is also called the only well-preserved Queen Anne-style summer house in Quincy. The criteria statement cites Criteria A and 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 89001314, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 32 Bayview Ave., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001314 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; James Mears was the probable builder |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition good; in present use as a single-family residence. Repairs were made after a 1941 fire, including reshingling and replacement of several windows. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.27160, -70.95018 (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 89001314.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914246
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.