{"nrhp_refnum":"83000625","name":"Bliss, Abiah, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"154 Agricultural Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Rehoboth","county":"Bristol County","state":"MA","lat":41.88891141050007,"lon":-71.27438385214667,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-06-06","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A farmhouse and associated barn at 154 Agricultural Avenue in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, dated to before 1740 on the basis of architectural detail, though tradition says it was built in 1666 by Jonathan Bliss.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is one of the earliest surviving houses in Rehoboth and shows how architectural form evolved over time in a conservative setting. The original house and barn were enlarged but not obscured by later construction. It meets criterion C.","narrative":"Located at 154 Agricultural Avenue in Rehoboth, this farmhouse is among the oldest still standing in the town. Tradition holds that Jonathan Bliss built it in 1666, but architectural details such as gunstock corner posts date it to before 1740. A central chimney and several fireplaces remain. An addition to the north, made in the early to mid 18th century, followed the original lines of the house. Later additions at the south end have not changed its basic form since about 1860. Beside it stand a late 19th century dairy barn with a gambrel roof and an 18th century broadaxed timber-frame barn forming the ell. In 1754 Deacon Ephraim Bliss gave the 50-acre property to his son Abiah, and the land has stayed in the family as a working farm. Family members also founded the Bliss Brother's Dairy in Attleboro. The house was listed for its architecture and its illustration of changing building forms.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Architect unknown; tradition credits Jonathan Bliss as builder","architectural_style":"First period","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Present use is residence; the property has remained an active farm in the Bliss family.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:56.807197-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/39/7895/63789539/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/83000625.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000625/705ed13824-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000625/705ed13824-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RehobothMA_AbiahBlissHouse.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RehobothMA_AbiahBlissHouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63789539","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiah_Bliss_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4667540"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/bristol-county/bliss-abiah-house-83000625/"}