Osborn, Benjamin, House
Also known as: Mother Ann Lee House
Why it's listed
Set in a meadow at 1,550 feet in the Berkshire hills, this modest one-story house with a gable roof and central chimney was built around 1759 by Benjamin Osborn on a 93-acre lot. It is the oldest standing structure in Mount Washington and a scarce survivor of the small homesteads that early colonial settlers built in the hill towns. Its three-bay facade and two-room plan, recalling the older hall-and-parlor arrangement, differ from the usual larger center-chimney houses. Osborn was an early settler and one of the town's proprietors. In 1781 his family hosted Shaker followers of Ann Lee at the start of their New England tour, and the house became the focus of a short-lived Shaker outpost. Changes around 1906 and 1950 altered the interior and exterior finishes. A small burying ground nearby, the town's oldest, with stones from 1772, is also included. The state acquired the property between 1958 and 1961 for the state forest.
Significance in brief: It is the oldest standing structure in Mount Washington and a rare surviving example of the small homesteads built by early hill-town settlers. Its two-room plan varies from the usual three-room center-chimney form. The Osborn family also welcomed Shaker evangelists on their first New England tour in 1781, making the house a base for an early Shaker outpost.
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 87001758, listed October 1, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | West St., E on private Rd., Mt. Washington |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | October 1, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001758 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1750-70 |
| Architect / builder | Benjamin Osborn (builder/original owner) |
| Architectural style | New England Colonial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the state Department of Environmental Management as part of Mount Washington State Forest; current function listed as work in progress. |
| Acreage | 93 |
| Coordinates | 42.11724, -73.46954 (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 87001758.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4889083
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.