Ashley, Col. John, House
Also known as: See Also:Ashley, Col. John, House (Boundary Increase)
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Why it's listed
Built in 1735 on Cooper Hill Road near Ashley Falls in Sheffield, this 2½-story clapboarded house has a center chimney, a rear ell, and a pedimented center doorway with fluted Doric pilasters. It was the home of Col. John Ashley, born in Westfield in 1709, who worked as a surveyor, merchant, lawyer, and judge. He owned mills and a marble quarry, built the first iron works in Berkshire County, and sat in the General Court. During the French and Indian War he commanded the South Berkshire Regiment of the militia. The house was moved 3/10 of a mile on its property in 1930, and the center chimney and the 1745 rear ell were rebuilt as exact replicas. The interior remains largely intact, and its second-floor study is elaborately panelled with a coffered crossbeam and a shell-carved cupboard. Some siding, floorboards, and panelling were cut by the first water-powered sawmill in Berkshire County. Today the house serves as a museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant as the home of Col. John Ashley, a surveyor, merchant, lawyer, judge, mill and quarry owner, and militia colonel. It is also a well-preserved example of a high-style mid-18th-century Connecticut River Valley house, with sophisticated interior panelling and early water-sawn lumber.
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 75001915, listed February 10, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | W of Ashley Falls on Cooper Hill Rd., Sheffield |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | February 10, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001915 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century (1735) |
| Architectural style | Colonial, transitional to early Georgian (Connecticut River Valley house) |
| Areas of significance | Military, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent; altered and moved; in use as a museum. |
| Acreage | 4.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.05945, -73.35594 (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 75001915.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5148137
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.