About this property
The Gale–Banks House is a historic house at 935 Main Street in Waltham, Massachusetts. This farmhouse was built c. 1798, and is one of the finest Federal style houses in the city. It is also significant for its association with Waltham native son, Governor of Massachusetts, and general of the American Civil War, Nathaniel Prentice Banks, who purchased it in 1855 and made it is home until his death in 1894. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The Banks House is located on the north side of Main Street (United States Route 20), west of Waltham center and in an area that has significant commercial development. It is a two-story wood-frame structure, five bays wide, with a hip roof, clapboard siding, and two interior brick chimneys. It has a distinctive narrow hip-roof dormer, with windows facing north and south, at the apex of its roof. The main entrance is sheltered by a porch supported by fluted Doric columns and topped by a balustrade. The house was built about 1798 by Jacob Gale, when the surrounding area was mostly farmland that had been in his family since the 17th century. It remained in the Gale family until 1855, when it was purchased by Nathaniel Prentice Banks along with 20 acres (8.1 ha) of land. Banks was a Waltham native who worked as a child in the mills of the Boston Manufacturing Company, and was by 1855 a prominent politician, having served as speaker of the state house of representatives. In 1857 he was elected Governor of Massachusetts, serving three one-year terms. He then served in the American Civil War as a general in the Union Army. After his death in 1894, the property was subdivided. The building now houses professional offices. National Register of Historic Places listings in Waltham, Massachusetts
Location
Categories
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.
Everything a full report reveals about Gale-Banks House
This page lists Gale-Banks House. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Gale-Banks House listed on the National Register?
Gale-Banks House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 9, 1990.
What type of historic resource is Gale-Banks House?
Gale-Banks House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Gale-Banks House?
The period of significance for Gale-Banks House is recorded as the pre_contact era, specifically around 935.
Can I research the history near Gale-Banks House?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Gale-Banks House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Middlesex County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Middlesex County.
Explore MiddlesexCounty ›More historic places in Massachusetts
Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.
View Massachusettshistoric sites ›Massachusetts history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Massachusettshistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Gale-Banks House will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.