{"nrhp_refnum":"82000493","name":"Wheeler-Merriam House","other_names":["Elm Brook Farm"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"477 Virginia Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Concord","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.46685309500006,"lon":-71.30679110958997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-11-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"An early colonial farmhouse at 477 Virginia Road in the rural eastern part of Concord, Massachusetts, set on a 35-acre property on the southwest side of Pine Hill. Tradition dates it to 1692, and a large late 19th-century barn stands across the road.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house represents Concord's historic development and is tied to the prominent Wheeler and Merriam families, especially housewright Abner Wheeler. It is also a well-preserved example of stylistic evolution through the 18th and 19th centuries, notable for the quality of its woodwork. The property may also hold archaeological deposits from historic and prehistoric occupation.","narrative":"Set on 35 acres along Virginia Road on the slope of Pine Hill in eastern Concord, this 2 1/2-story wood-frame farmhouse has a central chimney, a rear leanto and a five-bay facade. Tradition dates it to 1692, when it was said to be a wedding present for Timothy Wheeler, son of Sargeant Thomas Wheeler. Later occupants included Timothy Jr., Abner Wheeler and the Merriam family, and the Algeo family ran a dairy farm and orchard here from about 1865 into the 20th century. Abner Wheeler, a cabinetmaker and builder, may be responsible for some of the later 18th-century woodwork, and he helped rebuild Concord's meetinghouse in 1791. The interior keeps notable paneling, bolection molding and a triple-run stair. The house was altered after a fire around 1904, including a new porch and the loss of some projecting window cornices. The site may also hold archaeological remains of early farm life and Native American use along an old trail.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Early colonial","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Listed as occupied and in good condition, with uses including agriculture, commercial and private residence. Since the 1960s it has been a riding school and stable called Elm Brook Farm.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:56.441509-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/31/7959/63795931/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/82000493.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82000493/77a3892134-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82000493/77a3892134-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wheeler-Merriam_House,_Concord_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">John Phelan</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wheeler-Merriam_House,_Concord_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63795931","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheeler-Merriam_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7992187"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/wheeler-merriam-house-82000493/"}