Mills, Davis, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1834 on a sloping three-acre site above Needham's old town center, this wood frame house is a local example of late Federal design. It has two and a half stories, a gable roof, a five-bay facade, twin rear wall chimneys and six-over-six windows. The center entrance has slender pilasters, a dentillated frieze and narrow sidelights, and inside a steep circular stairway rises to the second floor. A kitchen ell was added to the rear, with a second ell in 1916. Davis Collins Mills, a butcher and selectman from a family present in the area since the 1600s, built the house after buying the land from the First Parish with the condition that the house be as large as a neighbor's. The Mills family kept the property until 1891, and later owners preserved it well. It was listed for its architectural quality, its prominent site and its long link to the Mills family.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a good local example of late Federal vernacular design with a delicate doorway and unusual circular stairway. It also stresses the visually striking site and its long association with the locally prominent Mills family. It is judged significant at the local level under Criteria B and 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 82004418, listed April 1, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 945 Central Ave., Needham |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | April 1, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004418 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built by Davis Collins Mills, according to the narrative) |
| Architectural style | Late Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; described as in excellent physical condition and unaltered apart from minor changes to the rear wings. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 42.28814, -71.25136 (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 82004418.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715449
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.