Munroe Building
Why it's listed
Completed in 1929 at a cost of $250,000, this two-story brick and limestone block at 1227-1259 Hancock Street holds shops on the ground floor and professional offices above. Henry M. Faxon built it on land his family had owned for over a century. It was one of several large masonry buildings that replaced frame stores, houses and taverns after Hancock Street was widened in the mid-1910s. Boston architects Shephard and Stearns designed it in the Colonial Revival style. The Hancock Street front has three gables, each with an arched window flanked by single windows, a variation on a Palladian design. Swags, a frieze of triglyphs and rosettes, and a corner marked by pilasters and a lettered panel add detail. Some upper windows were changed and two storefront frames were replaced with aluminum in the 1980s, yet the building remains intact. It is regarded as the finest Colonial Revival commercial building in Quincy Center from the 1920s.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Quincy's most elaborate and intact example of a Colonial Revival commercial building. It reflects the 1920s redevelopment of Quincy Center along a widened Hancock Street. It is also the work of noted Boston architects, and it retains its overall integrity despite minor 1980s alterations.
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 89001349, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1227--1259 Hancock St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001349 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Shephard and Stearns (architects); built by Henry M. Faxon |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good; still used for offices and stores, with ground-floor retail and second-floor professional offices. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.25220, -71.00449 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 89001349.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6936837
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.