{"nrhp_refnum":"84002256","name":"Walker, Peter, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1679 Somerset Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Taunton","county":"Bristol County","state":"MA","lat":41.87885986100008,"lon":-71.10243198199998,"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 central chimney Georgian house at 1679 Somerset Avenue in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, built about 1727 for Peter Walker. The architect is unknown, and a 19th-century one-story ell and shed were added.","why_significant":"It is described as the oldest documented structure in Taunton with true Georgian details. It is judged significant under criterion C for its early date and the high quality of its well-preserved Georgian form and detailing. The form also credits it with integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association.","narrative":"Built around 1727 at 1679 Somerset Avenue in Taunton, this clapboard house follows a central chimney plan and carries Georgian detailing. It is documented as the oldest structure in the city with true Georgian features. The doorway is framed by Ionic half-columns that support a dentilated pediment above a large semicircular leaded fanlight. The cornice is enriched with dentils and blocks, and the 12/12 windows are capped by splayed lintelboards. Peter Walker bought the land in 1726, and local sources say he had the house built as a wedding gift for his bride, Sarah Godfrey. A one-story ell and shed were added in the 19th century, but the original design remains well preserved. The house was listed because of its early construction date and the quality of its Georgian form and detailing. It remains a residence on a lot of about 0.57 acre, and the nominated boundaries follow the current lot lines.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Central Chimney, Georgian","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Present use is residence; the form lists no outbuildings and says the house has not been moved.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.437572-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/91/7892/63789291/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/84002256.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002256/b7e2495023-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002256/b7e2495023-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TauntonMA_PeterWalkerHouse.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:TauntonMA_PeterWalkerHouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63789291","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Walker_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7177562"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/bristol-county/walker-peter-house-84002256/"}