{"nrhp_refnum":"84002181","name":"McKinstrey House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"115 High St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Taunton","county":"Bristol County","state":"MA","lat":41.89968080400007,"lon":-71.09660583399994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-07-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Georgian brick-and-clapboard house at 115 High Street, Taunton, Massachusetts, built in 1759 for William McKinstry. It is now used as the rectory of the neighboring St. Thomas Episcopal Church.","why_significant":"It is one of a small number of stylish 18th-century houses surviving in Taunton and one of two local \"brick-end\" houses. It was also the residence of a notable political and military figure during the Revolution and is reputed to have been the scene of one of Taunton's earliest recorded murders. The form says it retains integrity and expresses Taunton's Colonial-period prosperity.","narrative":"Built in 1759 at 115 High Street in Taunton, this Georgian house was constructed for William McKinstry, a minister from Windsor, Massachusetts. Its walls combine brick and clapboard, and it is one of two \"brick-end\" houses in the city. The design features a symmetrical five-bay facade framed with quoins, a pedimented entry, a hipped roof and a double-pile center-hall plan. The house sits about 100 feet back from the street on a rise, with no outbuildings and no recorded major alterations. It served as the home of a notable political and military figure during the Revolution. McKinstry sided with the Colonists, while his wife, Priscilla Leonard, was a Tory. She was reputedly forced by his associates to dance in defiance of the King on Taunton Green. The house is also reputed to have been the scene of one of Taunton's earliest recorded murders. It was listed for its well-preserved, stylish design and its association with Colonial-era prosperity. Today it serves as the rectory of St. Thomas Episcopal Church.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Georgian","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Present use is as a rectory; no major alterations are recorded.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.912169-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/65/7895/63789565/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/84002181.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002181/910d1ad2c6-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002181/910d1ad2c6-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:115_High_St_Taunton.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:115_High_St_Taunton.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63789565","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKinstrey_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6802002"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/bristol-county/mckinstrey-house-84002181/"}