Harrison, Samuel, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1858 on Third Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, this modest Greek Revival house was home to Rev. Samuel Harrison, a clergyman, shoe repairer and author who died there in 1900. It stands in a working-class neighborhood of craftsmen and laborers. The 1½-story front-gable block and side porch wing have clapboard siding, a Greek Revival cornice with returns and a Doric pillar. Beneath the siding, the walls are vertical planks about an inch thick, cut with a circular saw and nailed directly to sills and plates without posts. Inside, plaster walls, pine trim and a three-room plan repeated on each level survive beneath later paneling and flooring. Harrison's autobiography recorded the experience of African Americans, and owning a home was a notable achievement for a Black family of his time. The original lot remains intact and may hold archaeological remains of a later house and outbuildings. The property is currently vacant.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to Rev. Samuel Harrison, an African American clergyman and author who worked to raise the status of his race and whose autobiography records the experience of Black Americans. Home ownership was beyond the reach of, and often denied to, Black families in this period, so the house was highly symbolic. It is also notable for its vertical plank wall construction, sawn with a circular blade, and for being largely intact to Harrison's lifetime.
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 06000147, listed March 22, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 80 Third St., Pittsfield |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | March 22, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000147 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Mid 19th Century: Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Black, Social History |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current function is vacant, not in use. The house is described as essentially intact to Harrison's lifetime, though interior surfaces have been covered and the windows replaced. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.45165, -73.24568 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 06000147.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7411639
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.