Sears, David, House
Also known as: Somerset Club
Why it's listed
Built in 1816 at 42 Beacon Street in Boston, the David Sears House is a granite town house designed by architect Alexander Parris. It was one of the first houses in the city built of granite. Originally two stories over an elevated basement, it had a seven-bay south facade with a central bow crowned by a saucer dome, and carved granite swag panels by Solomon Willard between the window tiers. Around 1824 David Sears nearly doubled the house, adding a second matching bow, widening the facade to ten bays and moving the entrance to the east end. In 1875, after the Somerset Club acquired it, a third story and a gable roof were added and the first two floors were renovated. Service quarters were added at the rear around 1900. The nomination values the house as an early, monumentally scaled Federal-style granite residence. It remains in excellent condition as a private men's club.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as an early and outstanding example of a monumentally scaled Adamesque-Federal town house built of granite, one of the first in Boston to use that material. Parris turned the restrictions of granite into an opportunity for an original, basic classicism. Carved granite panels by Solomon Willard enlivened the facade.
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 70000731, listed December 30, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 42 Beacon St., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | December 30, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000731 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific dates 1816, 1824) |
| Architect / builder | Alexander Parris (architect); Solomon Willard carved the exterior granite panels |
| Architectural style | Adamesque-Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated December 30, 1970 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In excellent condition; used as a private men's club and not open to visitors. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Beacon Hill Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.35708, -71.06675 (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 70000731.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5239621
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.