Pettengill, C. F., House
Why it's listed
Located at 53 Revere Road, one block from Quincy Center's business district, this wood-frame house dates to about the 1890s and reflects the Queen Anne style as it was commonly built in Quincy. It was built by Charles F. Pettengill, a prominent local jeweler who founded his watch, jewelry and silverware shop in 1876 and was known as the dean of Quincy's jewelry business. The house stayed in the Pettengill family until at least 1907. Its basic side-hall plan is enlivened by a two-story front gable, a clipped bay window, patterned shingles mixed with clapboards, irregular window placement and an elaborate two-story porch with turned posts, spindle and fret balustrade, and a bracketed frieze with a sunburst design. A 1930s rear porch addition respects the original design. Because it remains so intact, it is regarded as one of the best surviving examples of its type in the city, and it was listed for its local architectural significance.
Significance in brief: The house is considered one of the best-preserved examples of a once-common Quincy type: the side-hall plan house with a two-story front gable and Queen Anne ornament. It retains integrity of design, location, materials, feeling, workmanship and association. It is also tied to Pettengill, a prominent local jeweler.
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 89001951, listed November 13, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 53 Revere Rd., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | November 13, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001951 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built for Charles F. Pettengill |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; present use is a two-family dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.24796, -70.99999 (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 89001951.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5006446
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.