Richards, Alfred H., House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1923 at 354 Highland Avenue in Quincy, Massachusetts, this large single-family house was designed in the Colonial Revival style by Boston architect William Chapman, who had earlier designed several public buildings and residences in the city. It was built for Alfred H. Richards, vice-president of the Wollaston Cooperative Bank. The wood-clapboard house has a rectangular plan, a symmetrical five-bay facade, a central pedimented portico, dormers and slightly recessed wings. Dentils and modillions run under the eaves, and gable-roofed dormers with balustrades sit over each wing. Its proportions are closer to 18th-century models than many late 19th-century examples of the style. The house stands in Wollaston Heights, a neighborhood developed mainly between 1869 and 1900 for affluent businessmen and Boston commuters. As one of the few houses built there in the 1920s, it marks the last wave of substantial building on Wollaston Hill. It retains its original design and materials and is in good condition.
Significance in brief: The house represents the last wave of substantial residential construction in Wollaston Heights and the suburban expansion of the 1920s. It is among the most elaborate of several well-detailed Colonial Revival houses built in Quincy in that decade. It was designed by a locally known architect and retains its integrity.
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 89001353, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 354 Highland Ave., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001353 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | William Chapman |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good, with no major alterations; it is in use as a single-family dwelling, with a noncontributing frame garage (1923). |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.26038, -71.02100 (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 89001353.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4722772
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.