Winfield House
Why it's listed
Winfield House, at 853 Hancock Street in Quincy's Wollaston neighborhood, is a large Queen Anne house built about 1880 by John C. Chamberlin, a hardware commercial traveler. Its angled facade is crowned by an onion dome, an unusual feature in Quincy, and it also has varied window shapes, a complex roof, an overhanging gable bracket and a porch with turned posts and fan-motif brackets. Later owners included the Penniman family, leather merchants, and the Deanes, granite cutters. By 1937 Winfield L. Strout owned it, and his family ran a restaurant there until 1987. A one-story rear addition dates from the mid-20th century, and an original barn survives behind the house, while a 1930s diner at the front does not contribute. The house was recognized as one of Quincy's most exuberant and best-preserved Queen Anne buildings, and as the only well-preserved survivor of the substantial suburban houses once built along Hancock Street.
Significance in brief: The house is described as one of Quincy's most elaborate and well-preserved examples of the Queen Anne style, with integrity of location, design, materials and feeling. It is also the only well-preserved survivor of several substantial suburban houses that once lined Hancock Street, and it contributes to the streetscape.
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 89001347, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 853 Hancock St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001347 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by John C. Chamberlin; architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as good. The house was used as a restaurant and gift shop; the Strout family restaurant operated there until summer 1987. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.26215, -71.01244 (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 89001347.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8024999
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.