Nowland, J. Martin, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1915 at a cost of $4,000, this stucco bungalow at 31 Edgemere Road in Quincy was put up by J. Martin Nowland, an attorney who helped develop Edgemere Road and built and owned several houses. The street is one of several east of Quincy Center laid out as an early twentieth century residential neighborhood of wood-frame Colonial Revival and Bungalow houses. The house shows many Craftsman features: broad, low proportions, deep roof overhangs, exposed-framing detail in the front gable, short thick porch columns, and stucco walls. A finely detailed oriel window with a wood roof and base appears on the side elevation, while bands of windows in the porch and dormer use Prairie style details that gave the house a modern look in 1915. A one-car garage from 1926 at the rear is noncontributing. By 1926 ownership had passed to John D. Buckingham, a music teacher at the nearby Woodward Institute. The house is considered the best local example of its type.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a well-preserved example of the Craftsman bungalow type found in Quincy neighborhoods developed in the 1910s and 1920s, and the best of several similar versions. It retains integrity of design, materials, location, feeling and association. It is also tied to the early twentieth century residential development east of Quincy Center.
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 89001329, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 31 Edgemere Rd., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001329 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by J. Martin Nowland |
| Architectural style | Craftsman Bungalow |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a single-family dwelling; condition very good, with no major alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.25610, -71.00316 (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 89001329.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715621
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.