{"nrhp_refnum":"83003977","name":"Leavitt-Hovey House","other_names":["Greenfield Public Library"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"402 Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Greenfield","county":"Franklin County","state":"MA","lat":42.588056677000054,"lon":-72.59907691099994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-12-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Law","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Federal-style wood-frame house at 402 Main Street in downtown Greenfield, Massachusetts, built in 1797 with wings added in 1817 and a 1908 addition, attributed to Asher Benjamin. It now serves as the Greenfield Public Library.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is a rare, early work attributed to the noted architect and builder's-guide author Asher Benjamin, giving it national significance. It is also tied to two prominent local families, the Leavitts and the Hoveys, and reflects Greenfield's Federal-period prosperity. Its conversion to a public library in 1908 made it an architectural and educational landmark.","narrative":"Set back on a small knoll on Main Street in downtown Greenfield, this wood-frame house began in 1797 as a residence for lawyer and judge Jonathan Leavitt. It is attributed to Asher Benjamin, who lived in Greenfield early in his career, and resembles a plate in his Country Builder's Assistant. The plan has a two-story hip-roofed central block, one-story gabled pavilions, and arcaded hyphens added in 1817. A Doric portico marks the entrance. The Leavitt family kept the property until 1867, when merchant George Hovey bought it. His widow sold it to the town in 1907-1908, and it was remodelled inside as a public library. Rear additions from 1940 and 1955 were designed to harmonize with the original. The original formal gardens, also credited to Benjamin, are gone, though the form notes archaeological potential. The house was listed for its architecture, its association with the Leavitt and Hovey families, and its role in the town's civic life.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Asher Benjamin","architectural_style":"Federal / Neo-Classical","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Occupied and in use as the Greenfield Public Library; listed in excellent condition, with rear additions from 1940 and 1955.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.841827-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/83/7950/63795083/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/83003977.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83003977/a44bd819f0-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83003977/a44bd819f0-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GreenfieldMA_LeavittHoveyHouse.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:GreenfieldMA_LeavittHoveyHouse.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"88001908","name":"Main Street Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/massachusetts/main-street-historic-district-88001908/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63795083","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leavitt%E2%80%93Hovey_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6510797"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/franklin-county/leavitt-hovey-house-83003977/"}