National Register of Historic Places

House at 170 Otis Street

Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
September 3, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86001819

About this property

The House at 170 Otis Street in Newton, Massachusetts is a rare local work of the nationally known Boston architect Hammatt Billings. The two story Second Empire house was built in 1870–71 for Charles Ellis and Emma Claflin Ellis, the daughter of William Claflin, then Governor of Massachusetts, whose own home (no longer extant) was in Newtonville. The house's most prominent feature is its mansard-roofed 2+1⁄2-story tower, topped with iron cresting. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Location

170 Otis St.
Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.34622, -71.21471

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Kessler, William F., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
West Newton Hill Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Newton Street Railway Carbarn
Industrial
0.4 mi
Newtonville Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.4 mi
Newtonville Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Skirmish at Menotomy (Arlington)
1775Revolutionary War
5.6 mi
Battle of Menotomy
1775Revolutionary War
5.6 mi
Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
5.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was House at 170 Otis Street listed on the National Register?

House at 170 Otis Street was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 3, 1986.

What type of historic resource is House at 170 Otis Street?

House at 170 Otis Street is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for House at 170 Otis Street?

The period of significance for House at 170 Otis Street is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near House at 170 Otis Street?

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 House at 170 Otis Street will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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