{"nrhp_refnum":"84002416","name":"Perkins, Joseph, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"297 Howe St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Methuen","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.76125661900005,"lon":-71.16846471999997,"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 Greek Revival cottage at 297 Howe Street in a rural setting in the northeast corner of Methuen, Essex County, Massachusetts, dated by visual analysis to about 1840, with an earlier date of 1782 given by the historical commission.","why_significant":"The house is an excellent example of a Greek Revival cottage that may have evolved from an 18th-century dwelling. It illustrates the development of architectural styles and residential building types along Methuen's early road network. It is judged to retain integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship.","narrative":"Set in a rural corner of northeastern Methuen, Massachusetts, this clapboard house at 297 Howe Street is a Greek Revival cottage dated by visual analysis to about 1840, though the local historical commission gives an earlier date of 1782. It may have grown out of an 18th-century dwelling. The five-bay facade has a central entry, a prominent cornice and pilaster strips at the corners. The doorway has a broad entablature carried by pilasters, and the original sidelights have been blocked. The building rests on a cut-granite foundation. Its significance lies in how it reflects the styles and house types built along Methuen's early roads during its first two centuries of settlement. Residents of such houses were usually farmers supplying produce to Salem, Newburyport, Lowell and Lawrence, or shoe and hat makers. Joseph Perkins, a 19th-century owner, was a farmer. The house retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship, and was listed for its architecture.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Present use is as a private residence, the same as its original use. The sidelights at the entry have been blocked.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:56.402022-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/96/7900/63790096/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/84002416.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002416/2e99870840-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002416/2e99870840-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"EraserGirl","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Perkins_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">EraserGirl</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Perkins_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790096","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Perkins_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6286184"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/perkins-joseph-house-84002416/"}