{"nrhp_refnum":"73000278","name":"Lane, Job, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"295 North St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Bedford","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.51286624900007,"lon":-71.28395423699999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1973-05-08","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Military","Education","Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 1664 saltbox-style farmhouse with a center chimney at 295 North Road in Bedford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, built by Job Lane and described as the oldest dwelling in town.","why_significant":"It is the oldest dwelling in Bedford and was built by Job Lane on land bought from Fitz-John Winthrop. It was garrisoned during King Philip's War, and the Lane family was prominent in town, church and military affairs. Its little-changed interior and a fresco believed to be by Rufus Porter give it architectural significance.","narrative":"Built in 1664 by Job Lane, this saltbox farmhouse at 295 North Road is the oldest dwelling in Bedford. Lane bought about 1,500 acres from Fitz-John Winthrop, when the area was still part of Billerica. The house has a center chimney, five bays and a stone foundation. Later additions include shed extensions and an enclosed porch, and the exterior was reshingled in 1900. Inside, it keeps a narrow winding staircase, wide floor boards, hand-hewn beams, paneled walls and early hardware. A river-scene fresco in the west parlor is believed to be the work of Rufus Porter. The house was ordered garrisoned for protection during King Philip's War in 1675, and later Lane descendants held military rank. One of them was wounded at Concord on April 19, 1775. A will also set aside the old back kitchen as a neighborhood schoolhouse. Bedford planned to acquire and restore the property as a living farm.","period_of_significance":"1664","architect_builder":"Job Lane","architectural_style":"Saltbox with center chimney","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as in fair condition, altered, on its original site, and unoccupied. The town of Bedford hoped to acquire and restore it and open it to the public.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.726331-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/36/7955/63795536/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/73000278.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73000278/70c1c75d1e-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73000278/70c1c75d1e-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Anon user (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Job_Lane_House_August_2003.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Anon user (talk)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Job_Lane_House_August_2003.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63795536","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_Lane_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14715630"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/lane-job-house-73000278/"}