House at 83 Penniman Place
Why it's listed
This clapboard house at 83 Penniman Place in Brookline is a plain but sturdy Greek Revival dwelling, built probably between 1830 and 1837 for Daniel Sanderson, a town officeholder and Baptist deacon. It sits with its gable end to the street and has an enclosed pediment, raking cornice, pilaster corner boards, a wide entablature with returns, and a side-hall entrance with pilasters and sidelights. A shallow side porch with Doric columns and tall first-floor windows completes the design. In 1912, when the Phillips estate was being subdivided, the house was moved from the intersection of the Dean Road extension and Chestnut Hill Avenue to its present site beside Eliot Playground. The same year a small rear extension was added, continuing the original ell. Apart from a one-story bay on the north side, it appears much as built. It was listed as an early and rare local example of Greek Revival design in a neighborhood of mostly 20th-century Georgian and Tudor Revival houses.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to meet criterion C as an early and rare local example of Greek Revival architecture. It is unusual in a neighborhood of mostly 20th-century Georgian and Tudor Revival homes. Only one other Greek Revival house in the area is noted as surviving, and that one was also moved.
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 85003292, listed October 17, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 83 Penniman Pl., Brookline |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | October 17, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003292 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Daniel Sanderson (original owner); architect information not available |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a single-family dwelling; moved in 1912 and altered that year with a rear extension. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.33164, -71.14793 (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 85003292.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914478
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.