Otis, (First) Harrison Gray, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1795-96 on Cambridge Street in Boston, this three-story brick house was designed by architect Charles Bulfinch for the lawyer and politician Harrison Gray Otis. It is about 48 feet wide and 32 feet deep, five bays across, with Flemish bond brickwork, a low hip roof and a chimney at each end. Inside, a wide center hall divides the rooms, and the second-floor drawing room has Adam-style mantels and door entablatures. Bulfinch drew his plan from the William Bingham House in Philadelphia. The house is regarded as the prototype for the five-bay, three-story brick mansions built across New England in the Federal period, and its interiors are among the region's earliest examples of Adam influence. Otis sold it in 1801. After heavy nineteenth-century alteration, the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities bought it in 1916 and restored it in stages. The house was moved back 40 feet in 1926 when the street was widened. It now operates as a furnished museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the prototype of the five-bay, three-story brick Adamesque urban mansions built in New England during the Federal period. Its interiors are also described as one of the earliest instances of Adam influence in New England.
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 70000539, listed December 30, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 141 Cambridge St., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | December 30, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000539 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1795-96 |
| Architect / builder | Charles Bulfinch (architect) |
| Architectural style | Federal / Adamesque |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated December 30, 1970 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition; open to visitors as a furnished historic house museum, with further restoration under way at the time of the form. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Beacon Hill Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.36150, -71.06459 (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 70000539.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19564302
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.