Bradley, J.D.C., House
Also known as: Oakcrest
Why it's listed
Oakcrest, at 60 Sears Road in Southborough, Massachusetts, is a 34-room country house of about 15,000 square feet, designed in 1913 by Charles Adams Platt. Built of stucco over brick, it has a 2-½ story central block flanked by two-story ells, a slate roof, and a Corinthian-columned entrance. Inside, a long central hall leads to a recessed loggia, a walnut-paneled library, and herringbone floors. Sarah Choate Sears built it as a wedding present for her daughter Helen and J.D.C. Bradley, near the family's existing country house. It was listed for architecture. Platt, then at the height of his reputation, was known for symmetry, restraint, and the blending of indoor and outdoor space. The inset loggia is rare in his work and may be unique among surviving Platt houses. Later changes included a school's use of the house and the enclosure of the loggia, though the main exterior and landscape features remain.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house embodies the character-defining features of Charles Adams Platt at the peak of his career, and is the only such example in Massachusetts. Its inset loggia is rare in Platt's work and may be unique among surviving Platt houses. It is also a representative early 20th-century suburban estate tied to the Sears and Bradley families.
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 99000260, listed February 26, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 60 Sears Rd., Southborough |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 26, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000260 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1913-1948 |
| Architect / builder | Charles Adams Platt, architect |
| Architectural style | 20th Century: Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a dwelling; the loggia was enclosed in the 1970s, and the library bookcase alterations of the mid-1980s were reversed in 1994. |
| Acreage | 5.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.31663, -71.54238 (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 99000260.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6104024
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.