National Historic Landmark

Red Top

Belmont, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
November 11, 1971
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
71000911

About this property

Redtop (also written as Red Top) is a historic shingle style house located at 90 Somerset Street, Belmont, Massachusetts. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971 for its association with writer and literary critic William Dean Howells (1837–1920), a leading proponent of realism in literature. The Shingle Style house was designed by Howells' brother-in-law William Rutherford Mead of the architecture firm McKim, Mead & Bigelow, and it was the Howells' residence from its construction in 1877 to 1882.

Location

90 Somerset St.
Belmont, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.40034, -71.17885

Categories

LITERATURE
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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Everything a full report reveals about Red Top

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
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
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Pleasant Street Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Belmont Railroad Station
Industrial
0.3 mi
Hill, Abraham, House
Industrial
0.6 mi
McLean Hospital National Register District
Listed
0.8 mi
Baptist Society Meeting House
Industrial
0.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Skirmish at Menotomy (Arlington)
1775Revolutionary War
1.5 mi
Battle of Menotomy
1775Revolutionary War
1.6 mi
Battle of Lancaster (King Philip's War)
1676Colonial
3.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Red Top listed on the National Register?

Red Top was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 11, 1971.

What type of historic resource is Red Top?

Red Top is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Red Top a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Red Top has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Red Top?

The period of significance for Red Top is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Red Top?

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 Red Top will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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