Statement of Significance (as of designation - December 29, 1962):
Elmwood was occupied by James Russell Lowell, noted writer, editor, and Harvard professor, from his birth in 1819 until his death in 1891. As first editor of the "Atlantic Monthly," Lowell exerted great influence on American literature. His literary achievements were matched by his diplomatic career, culminating with his appointment as ambassador to the Court of Saint James in 1880.