Unique Homes MABrowse by era
From First Period homesteads (1620–1725) through the Victorian century (1840–1900), grouped by the period in which the home was built.
Massachusetts has the deepest stock of pre-1900 residential architecture in America. Era groups the catalog by the period in which a house was built, which is a different cut than style. A period is a cohort with its own economy, its own building methods, and its own ownership story, and several styles often live inside one.
We use five periods, running from first settlement to the close of the nineteenth century:
- First Period (1620–1725). The oldest English houses in the country, built around a central chimney. Nearly all the survivors are here in Massachusetts.
- Georgian (1720–1780). Symmetry and formal proportion arrive with colonial wealth, by the pattern book.
- Federal (1780–1830). The lighter, finer classicism of the new republic, and Boston’s architectural signature.
- Greek Revival (1825–1860). The temple front, built at every price point in nearly every town settled before the Civil War.
- Victorian (1840–1900). The industrial century and a whole family of styles, from Gothic Revival through Queen Anne and the triple-decker.
Each era page collects current listings, the period’s identifying features, and short historical context, with links into the individual styles cataloged within it. Start with whichever period interests you, or browse the full style index if you already know what you are looking for.
Antique (pre-1900)
Massachusetts has the deepest stock of pre-1900 residential architecture in America — First Period, Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, and the Victorian styles. Browse all current and recently-sold antique listings.
Federal-Era Homes in Massachusetts
Federal-era houses (1780–1830) — the architectural signature of post-Revolutionary New England, concentrated in Boston, Beacon Hill, Salem, and Newburyport.
161 current listings
First Period (1620–1725)
The earliest English-built homes in America — central chimneys, post-medieval framing, riven oak siding. Massachusetts holds nearly all the survivors.
6 current listings
Georgian-Era Homes in Massachusetts
Georgian-era houses (1720–1780) — the symmetrical, classically proportioned architecture of pre-Revolutionary Massachusetts, best preserved in Salem, Cambridge, and the North Shore.
64 current listings
Greek Revival–Era Homes in Massachusetts
Greek Revival–era houses (1825–1860) — temple-fronted farmhouses and porticoed merchant mansions built across New England in the antebellum period.
194 current listings
Victorian-Era Homes in Massachusetts
Victorian-era houses (1840–1900) — the full Victorian family including Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Shingle, and Romanesque Revival styles built during Massachusetts's industrial boom.
1,010 current listings
Antique Pre-1850 (pre-1850)
Massachusetts homes built before 1850 — First Period, Georgian, Federal, and early Greek Revival vernacular. The pre-railroad cohort, before the Industrial Revolution reshaped MA building stock.
Victorian Era (1840–1900)
The full Victorian family — Gothic Revival, Italianate, Stick, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Shingle, Romanesque Revival. Massachusetts's industrial-boom cities built fortunes into these mansions.