Allen, Elisha, House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Located at 108 Homestead Road in Rehoboth, this Georgian center cape was built between about 1738 and 1759. Land in the northwest part of town was conveyed to Deacon Ezekiel Read in 1738, and a house stood there by 1755. In 1759 Elisha Allen bought the house with twelve acres. He or his son Isaiah ran a cordwainer business on the small farm, and the property stayed in the Allen family until 1895. A rear ell was added between about 1775 and 1825, and in 1830 a formerly separate kitchen was attached at the east end. After damage by fire and decline, the house was restored with close attention to original features and documentary evidence, including reconstruction of the main chimney stack, window sashes and interior walls. It is one of a few pre-1750 buildings in Rehoboth not obscured by later changes, and it is among the town's best preserved extended cottages of its era.
Significance in brief: It is one of a handful of structures in Rehoboth built before 1750 that still stand and are not totally obscured by later alterations. Despite reconstructed elements, it keeps a high degree of architectural integrity and is one of the town's best preserved examples of the extended cottage form from its period. The Allen family also owned it from 1759 until 1895.
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 83000616, listed June 6, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 108 Homestead Rd., Rehoboth |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | June 6, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000616 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; it was damaged by fire in the past and has been under careful renovation by its owners for about eight years. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Coordinates | 41.88101, -71.26857 (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 83000616.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5361725
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.