National Register of Historic Places

Barnes, Walter S. and Melissa E., House

Somerville, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
March 8, 1990
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
89001266

About this property

The Walter S. and Melissa E. Barnes House is a historic house at 140 Highland Avenue in Somerville, Massachusetts. Built about 1890, it is one of the city's least-altered examples of Queen/Stick style Victorian architecture. It was for many years home to Robert Luce, a one-term Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The Barnes House stands in central Somerville, on the south side of Highland Avenue (a major east–west route through the city) between Central Street and Trull Lane. It is a 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure, with a hip roof and clapboarded exterior. The roof faces each have dormers, the one in front extended in width to a triangular shaped, and nearly filled by a half-round window. The main roof eaves are bracketed, and there are Stick-style braces on the square posts supporting the front porch. The porch has a shed roof, and wraps around to the right side to a projecting section. The house was built sometime between about 1885 and 1895, and is one of a few virtually unchanged Queen Anne/Stick style Victorians in the city. It was built for Walter S. Barnes, who worked in the box-making business in Boston. It was home for many years to the family of Robert Luce (1862–1945), a prominent local politician. Luce, a Republican, served many years in the United States Congress representing Somerville, and served a single term (1912–13) as Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. National Register of Historic Places listings in Somerville, Massachusetts Walter Barnes (sportswriter) (1860–1940), a son of Walter Barnes and Melissa Barnes

Location

140 Highland Ave.
Somerville, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.38805, -71.10272

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Gaut, Samuel, House
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First Unitarian Church
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Snow, Lemuel, Jr., House
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Crowell, C. C., House
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Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
1.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Barnes, Walter S. and Melissa E., House listed on the National Register?

Barnes, Walter S. and Melissa E., House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 8, 1990.

What type of historic resource is Barnes, Walter S. and Melissa E., House?

Barnes, Walter S. and Melissa E., House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Barnes, Walter S. and Melissa E., House?

The period of significance for Barnes, Walter S. and Melissa E., House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Barnes, Walter S. and Melissa E., House?

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