Whitman, Josiah B., House
Why it's listed
Set on about three acres beside Jones Mill Pond in West Barnstable, this house at 210 Maple Street dates to around 1860 and was built for Josiah B. Whitman. It is a two-story French Second Empire building with a square main block under a mansard roof, a central chimney, a stone foundation and a painted clapboard exterior. Ornate pediments and brackets decorate the entry roof, bay window and small porch, and a wing with a peaked roof extends to the southwest. The architect is unknown, and the form records no major alterations. The house is considered significant as a well-preserved example of the mansard style, showing a clearer grasp of Second Empire design than most other buildings in town despite its simple details. Deed records trace the land from the Bodfish family through Jonas Whitman and Lydia P. Crocker to Josiah Whitman in 1874, then to his daughter in 1923.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved, locally well-understood vernacular example of the mansard style. Although simple in its details, it shows a clearer understanding of the Second Empire style than most other buildings in the town. It meets criterion C for architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 87000236, listed March 13, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 210 Maple St., Barnstable |
|---|---|
| County | Barnstable County |
| Listed | March 13, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000236 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | French Second Empire (mansard style) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good, with no major alterations, no outbuildings, and the building has not been moved. It is in residential use. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 41.70878, -70.38857 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 87000236.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6290411
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.