{"nrhp_refnum":"90000262","name":"Foster, Stephen, House","other_names":["Greenwood Kennels"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"109 North St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Topsfield","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.659839463000026,"lon":-70.93348289099998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1990-03-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two and one half story, one-room-deep clapboard frame house at 109 North Street, Topsfield, Massachusetts, built about 1680-1700 in the First Period style. It was originally a residence and now serves as a residence and kennel.","why_significant":"The house is argued to be significant under Criterion C for its integrity of design, materials, workmanship and setting in its First Period frame. It keeps the single-cell massing that later additions usually hide. A tree branch left on the rear plate to serve as a brace is an unusual example of vernacular carpentry.","narrative":"Set back from North Street amid farm fields in Topsfield, this two and one half story clapboard house dates to about 1680-1700. It is three bays wide and one room deep, with small additions at the right rear and 19th-century trim, including a one-story porch on square posts. Only the very steep roof hints at its First Period origins. Inside, a massive oak frame is exposed on the second floor and in the attic, with a chamfered summer beam, jowled corner posts and hewn purlins. The house is notable for keeping its single-cell form, which later additions usually obscure. Its most unusual feature is a tree branch left on the rear plate to act as a brace, a practical solution by a single carpenter. The all-oak frame is of substantial dimensions, which could point to an earlier date than the traditional c. 1700 or to old-fashioned methods. The house retains its original rural setting, and the barn and sheds nearby are in disrepair.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"First Period","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Condition described as good; present use is residence and kennel. The 20th-century barn and two sheds are in disrepair.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:04.5649-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/24/7900/63790024/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/90000262.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000262/667a383102-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000262/667a383102-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TopsfieldMA_StephenFosterHouse.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:TopsfieldMA_StephenFosterHouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790024","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Foster_House_(Topsfield,_Massachusetts)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7609217"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/foster-stephen-house-90000262/"}