{"nrhp_refnum":"84002878","name":"Roebuck Tavern","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"21 Dedham St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Wrentham","county":"Norfolk County","state":"MA","lat":42.06751449200004,"lon":-71.32742033399995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-05-17","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Federal style tavern and residence at 21 Dedham Street in the historic center of Wrentham, Massachusetts, built about 1795 for David Fisher, with a one-story rear ell added in two stages during the 19th century.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is one of Wrentham's best preserved examples of residential Federal architecture. It is tied to the growth of Wrentham Center after the Boston/Providence Turnpike opened in the early 19th century. It is also linked to the prominent Fisher family, who owned it until 1910. It was documented by HABS in 1937.","narrative":"Built about 1795 for David Fisher and his family, this two-story, five-bay clapboard building at 21 Dedham Street sits in the historic center of Wrentham. Its symmetrical south facade has a center entry with sidelights and an elliptical fanlight, twin interior chimneys, 12/12 sash windows and a granite foundation. A one-story ell was added in two stages during the 19th century. The property stood on the Boston/Providence Turnpike, which opened early in the 1800s and spurred growth in town. Over time the building served as a tavern, inn, post office, toll collector's house and family home, and it kept operating as an inn and tavern into the early 20th century. The Fisher family, early settlers and town selectmen, owned it until 1910. George Fisher, a grandson of the first owner, became a professor and dean at Yale Divinity School. Listing recognizes its Federal detailing, its integrity, and its role in the town's commercial development.","period_of_significance":"1700-1799 and 1800-1899 (specific date ca. 1795)","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Federal","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Condition listed as good and altered, on its original site; the form notes it was used as a tavern into the early 20th century and that original outbuildings no longer stand.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:56.399484-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/95/7961/63796195/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/84002878.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002878/6f7127868f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002878/6f7127868f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roebuck_Tavern,_Wrentham_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">John Phelan</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roebuck_Tavern,_Wrentham_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796195","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roebuck_Tavern","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7357556"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/norfolk-county/roebuck-tavern-84002878/"}