{"nrhp_refnum":"83004095","name":"James, Capt. Benjamin, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"301 Driftway","address_restricted":false,"city":"Scituate","county":"Plymouth County","state":"MA","lat":42.17714378100004,"lon":-70.74252763599998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-11-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A farmhouse at 301 Driftway in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, built in the early 18th century on land once granted to John Hanmer. It is a center-chimney, L-shaped dwelling with a 2½-story main block and a rear lean-to ell.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is a typical vernacular First Period farmhouse and one of the oldest surviving buildings in Scituate, retaining much original fabric. It is also tied to Scituate's early agricultural development along the tidal driftway. In addition, it served as the town's smallpox inoculation hospital, the \"Pest House,\" during the 1791-93 epidemic.","narrative":"Overlooking the tidal flats of First Herring Brook and the North River, this early 18th century farmhouse at 301 Driftway in Scituate is a center-chimney dwelling with a five-bay, 2½-story main block and a later rear lean-to ell. Oak timbers, cedar shingles and a massive chimney reflect the English vernacular building tradition. The land was part of a grant to John Hanmer, one of the original settlers, and the site shows how early farming depended on marsh hay from the tidal flats. About 1734 the property passed to Captain Benjamin James, a militia officer, who later built a larger house in Greenbush and left this one empty. During the smallpox epidemic of 1791-93, the town used the isolated house as an inoculation hospital, and charred timbers remain from efforts to sterilize it. Although the windows have been replaced and some interior woodwork removed, the house keeps much of its original structure and its relationship to the surrounding landscape.","period_of_significance":"1700-1720","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Vernacular First Period farmhouse (English vernacular tradition)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Occupied as a private residence; the form lists it as occupied and in fair condition, with an unaltered original site.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:56.85486-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/90/7964/63796490/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/83004095.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83004095/60d764464d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83004095/60d764464d-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Electrachrome","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Capt._Benjamin_James_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Electrachrome</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:Capt._Benjamin_James_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796490","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capt._Benjamin_James_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5036410"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/plymouth-county/james-capt-benjamin-house-83004095/"}