Crowninshield House
Why it's listed
Built between 1868 and 1870 at the corner of Marlborough and Dartmouth Streets in Boston, this red brick house was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson. It rises four stories, including a full-story mansard roof, with brownstone lintels and a brownstone water table above a rusticated brick foundation. A two-story entrance pavilion is topped by an elaborate brick parapet with small wrought iron panels, and bands of black brick, tiles and a stringcourse mark the Dartmouth Street wall. That side features a large chimney face joined to the facade by curved brick planes, an idea Richardson used again about ten years later at Trinity Rectory. The house was his first domestic commission and is one of two of his Boston houses that survive. It allows direct comparison with later works such as Sever Hall and the Stoughton House, showing how his style matured. Much original interior woodwork and paneling remains. The building is in excellent condition and is occupied.
Significance in brief: It was Henry Hobson Richardson's first domestic design and, with Trinity Rectory, is one of two surviving houses he designed in Boston. It is valuable for comparative study of the development of his Richardson Romanesque style. Much of the original interior woodwork and paneling survives.
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 72000145, listed February 23, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 164 Marlborough St., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | February 23, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000145 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1868-1870 |
| Architect / builder | H.H. Richardson (architect) |
| Architectural style | American or Richardson Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked excellent, with some interior alterations; the form marks the property as occupied. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Back Bay Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.35264, -71.07871 (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 72000145.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5189564
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.