Wells House
Why it's listed
Built around 1840 on a knoll overlooking West Main Street in North Adams, this clapboard farmhouse reflects both Greek Revival design and the early industry of the Braytonville mill community. The house is five bays wide and two and a half stories tall, with a central entrance framed by four pilasters, sidelights and a transom. Its most unusual feature is the set of slender Doric pilasters, carved with entasis, that mark each bay on the north, east and west sides and support a frieze under the roofline. Each gable end has a full pediment. Orson Wells, who came to North Adams in 1815, built the house near an acid factory he established, no longer standing. Acid was important to tanning and woolen production, and Wells and his son Daniel were also involved in local textile enterprises. Daniel Wells still owned 160 acres around the house in 1894, and the property stayed in the family until 1968. It remains a residence with no recorded major alterations.
Significance in brief: It is a rare surviving local example of a Greek Revival farmhouse, with unusual attenuated Doric pilasters on three elevations. It is also tied to the Wells family, who ran an acid factory and took part in textile manufacturing in Braytonville. It retains integrity and reflects the area's early industrial and agricultural past.
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 85003393, listed October 25, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 568 W. Main St., North Adams |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | October 25, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003393 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Orson Wells (builder); architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a present residence; no major alterations recorded. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.69852, -73.13432 (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 85003393.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7981676
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.