{"nrhp_refnum":"85001531","name":"Lawrence, William, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"101 Somerset Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Taunton","county":"Bristol County","state":"MA","lat":41.893490101000054,"lon":-71.09284728499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-07-10","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Second Empire style residence at 101 Somerset Avenue in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, built around 1860 and clad in clapboards.","why_significant":"The house is argued to be one of Taunton's most high-style expressions, standing in a neighborhood of large late 19th century residences. It is somewhat unique for combining Italianate details with a Mansard roof in a pronounced bell-cast curve. It is judged an intact and outstanding example of mid-19th century residential architecture reflecting the tastes of the city's elite.","narrative":"Built around 1860 at 101 Somerset Avenue in Taunton, this square, two-story clapboard house combines Italianate features with a Second Empire roof. Its Mansard roof has ogee-curved sides cast in a strongly pronounced bell-cast curve, and it is crowned by a central cupola and lit by ogee-roofed dormers. Other details include bracketed eaves, paneled pilasters at the corners and around the central bay, a round-arched entrance with a matching transom, and a porch on paired chamfered posts. Sources disagree on original ownership. Local historical society records say it was built for a salesman, William Lawrence, by the prolific local carpenter Abel Burt, while 1880s maps name G.H. Babbitt. The house was listed because it retains its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association, making it an intact and outstanding example of mid-19th century residential architecture in a neighborhood of large late 19th century homes. It is also a reminder of the tastes of Taunton's elite.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Abel Burt (Carpenter)","architectural_style":"Second Empire","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Listed as a residence; the form records no alterations and no move.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:56.497869-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/19/7893/63789319/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/85001531.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85001531/9f732de113-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85001531/9f732de113-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:101_Somerset_Avenue.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:101_Somerset_Avenue.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63789319","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lawrence_House_(Taunton,_Massachusetts)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8014360"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/bristol-county/lawrence-william-house-85001531/"}