Toussaint, Winand, 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 1881 at 203 Aspinwall Avenue in Brookline, this two-story house combines a mansard roof with Stick Style detailing. A cupola tops the roof, and the corners are clipped or chamfered, with the front door placed to emphasize them. Brackets, bargeboards and pendants show the Stick Style influence. Neighboring houses are mostly larger and date from the 1880s and 1890s, but none resembles this one. It was built for Winand Toussaint, a Belgian-born furniture manufacturer who came to the United States in 1854 and moved to Brookline in 1873. Directories of the 1890s list him as an architect, and his obituary says he practised from an office in his home, so he probably designed the house himself. A mahogany statue stand bearing his signature is held by the Museum of Fine Arts. The house is valued both as the home of this designer and as an unusual local building type. It remains a residence on a small lot.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to meet criteria B and C. It was the home of an established architect and furniture designer, Winand Toussaint. It is also a unique example of a mansard-style house with Stick Style detailing, unlike any other house nearby.
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 85003319, listed October 17, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 203 Aspinwall Ave., Brookline |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | October 17, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003319 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Probably Winand Toussaint |
| Architectural style | Mansard with some Stick Style elements |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; a small garage dates from 1927 and the house had a general overhauling in 1926. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.33604, -71.11494 (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 85003319.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8023678
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.