{"nrhp_refnum":"84002317","name":"Buswell, J.E., House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"535-537 Prospect St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Methuen","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.73113090100003,"lon":-71.16155075299997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-01-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Second Empire house built about 1875 at 535/537 Prospect Street in Methuen, Massachusetts. It was originally a single-family home and is now used as two private residences.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it the finest remaining example of Second Empire design in Methuen and a well-preserved residence of a businessman and state representative. It is also characteristic of the Prospect/Brook Street residential area. It is described as retaining integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship.","narrative":"Built around 1875 on Prospect Street in Methuen, this clapboard house is a fine local example of the French Second Empire style as seen in the Lower Merrimack Valley. Its sculptural facade is notable for tripartite projecting bays, whose segmental-arched windows are framed with carved and sawn ornament. A bracketed porch rests on panelled posts. The house was built as a single-family residence for a businessman who also served as a state representative, and it is now divided into two private residences. The only major alteration recorded is a blocked transom, and the building keeps its original location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. It was listed because it is regarded as the finest surviving Second Empire building in the town and because of its association with its original owner. It also typifies the residential character of the Prospect and Brook Street neighborhood, where it sits on a lot of about one acre or less.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Second Empire","criteria":["B","C"],"status_note":"Present use is two private residences; originally a single-family residence. The only major alteration noted is a blocked transom.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.80306-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/16/7901/63790116/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/84002317.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002317/5de57ae76c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002317/5de57ae76c-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"EraserGirl","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:J.E._Buswell_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">EraserGirl</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:J.E._Buswell_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790116","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.E._Buswell_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6104063"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/buswell-j-e-house-84002317/"}