Hoxie, Timothy, 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 1854, this wood-frame villa at 135 Hillside Street in Boston's Mission Hill neighborhood was the home of Timothy W. Hoxie, a Boston commission merchant dealing in building materials. It has an L-plan, low gabled wings, and a tall three-story pyramidal-roofed tower at the center of the facade. The tower entry has panelled pilasters and a corniced hood on scroll consoles. Bracketed cornices, round-arched windows, and a rear extension on a puddingstone basement complete the exterior. Asbestos shingles from the 1940s cover the earlier siding. Inside, panelled doors, stone mantels, and a stair with a scroll newel survive. The house was part of the 1845 Highland Place subdivision and was moved across the street between 1884 and 1888, probably to allow Sachem Street to be cut through. Later it housed the Cantwell family, who built nearby triple-deckers. It is described as the only Italianate villa in Mission Hill and a rare intact example in Boston. It is now divided into apartments.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the only Italianate villa in the Mission Hill area and one of relatively few intact examples of the style left in Boston. It is also one of only two substantially intact residences from the 1845 Highland Place subdivision, and it reflects the early suburbanization of Mission Hill. A later review sheet questioned the move and the loss of its setting, and the final form added Criteria Consideration B for moved properties.
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 87001399, listed November 20, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 135 Hillside St., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | November 20, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001399 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1854-1899 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian - Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains in residential use, subdivided into apartments. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.33109, -71.10482 (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 87001399.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7807261
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.