Harding, Chester, House
Why it's listed
Sixteen Beacon Street in Boston holds a four-story brick row house built in 1808 in the Federal style by Thomas Fletcher. Its size and pretension earned it the nickname "Amory's Folly." The house is best known as the home of portrait painter Chester Harding from 1826 to 1830. Largely self-taught, Harding became one of the country's most successful portraitists, and his Boston popularity was called "Harding fever" by Gilbert Stuart. The house changed over time. In 1885 the front was extended with a new porch and added bays, and in the 1920s it was adapted for office use. The Boston Bar Association renovated it in 1963 as its headquarters, removing some later additions and restoring the period character of the interior. Original features that survive include an oval flying staircase, egg-and-dart cornices, carved mantels with paired colonnettes, and molded door and window surrounds. Visitors are admitted by appointment.
Significance in brief: The house was the home from 1826 to 1830 of Chester Harding, one of America's most successful portrait painters of the four decades before his death in 1866. His popularity in Boston at that time was dubbed "Harding fever" by Gilbert Stuart. The building also retains period interior features such as an oval flying staircase.
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 66000764, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 16 Beacon St., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000764 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1808, 1826-30 |
| Architect / builder | Thomas Fletcher |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Art |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated December 21, 1965 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Renovated in 1963 for use as the Boston Bar Association's headquarters; maintained in excellent condition, used as professional offices, and open to visitors by appointment. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.35780, -71.06254 (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 66000764.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5093587
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.