Record, Jonathan Dexter, House
Why it's listed
Built in the early 1890s on Wollaston Hill in Quincy, this two-family house at 39-41 Grandview Avenue was commissioned by Jonathan D. Record, a Boston dry plates manufacturer. It is among the largest Queen Anne houses in the Wollaston Heights neighborhood and carries the period's status symbol, a tall three-story corner tower. Although it holds two households, it was designed to resemble the substantial single-family houses around it. Its complex roof, asymmetrical silhouette, varied wall materials, bay windows and dormers are typical of the style. A two-story entrance porch with turned posts and arched openings was filled in during the 1950s, yet the house remains well preserved. Wollaston Heights was marketed from 1869 as a status community for affluent Quincy businessmen and Boston commuters, with free railroad passes offered to lot buyers. Later owners included a hides dealer and a naval architect with the Electric Boat Company. The house is valued as the most elaborate surviving example of its type in the neighborhood.
Significance in brief: The form describes it as the most elaborate and best preserved example of the substantial two-family residences built at Wollaston Hill in the late nineteenth century. It is tied to the development of Quincy's first affluent residential neighborhood for Boston commuters. It retains integrity of design, location, materials, feeling and association, and meets Criteria A and C at the local level.
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 89001337, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 39--41 Grandview Ave., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001337 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built for Jonathan D. Record, a Boston dry plates manufacturer |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; present use is a two-family dwelling. The porch was filled in during the 1950s, which the form says is not a major loss of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.26400, -71.01990 (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 89001337.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6272945
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.