{"nrhp_refnum":"78000438","name":"Luther Store","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"W of Swansea at 160 Old Warren Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Swansea","county":"Bristol County","state":"MA","lat":41.74491359700005,"lon":-71.22312017899998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-05-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick veneer on plank 'saltbox' general store at 160 Old Warren Road in the Luthers' Corner neighborhood of Swansea, Massachusetts, built in 1815 by Mace Luther for John Brown Luther.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the store is significant for the excellent preservation of its architectural character, its association with the Luther family, and its role as a center of community activity in the 19th century. Family members who ran the store also held many local public offices.","narrative":"Luther Store is a two-story brick veneer on plank saltbox building at the corner of Old Warren Road and Maple Avenue in Swansea, Massachusetts. Built in 1815 for John Brown Luther by his journeyman cousin Mace Luther, it housed a general store in its western end, with separate spaces on the upper floor. The interior keeps its original mahogany counter, three feet deep and twenty-five feet long, and the original store signs remain on the exterior. Members of the Luther family ran the store until 1925, and heirs deeded it to the town in 1935. The Swansea Historical Society has operated it since 1941. Luthers had lived at these four corners since 1747, with a tavern and a shoemaking shop on the other corners. Family members associated with the store held local offices including town clerk, treasurer, tax collector and justice of the peace. The building was moved back thirty-five feet in 1937 when the road was widened.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Mace Luther","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied, in good condition; operated as a museum by the Swansea Historical Society since 1941. It was moved back thirty-five feet on its lot in 1937 for road widening.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:53.521546-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/14/7944/63794414/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/78000438.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000438/71a06eac1f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000438/71a06eac1f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Tim Pierce","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Luther_Store.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Tim Pierce</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:Luther_Store.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63794414","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Store","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6705641"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/bristol-county/luther-store-78000438/"}