Anthony, Harold H., 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
Built in 1922 at 132 Bay Point Avenue in Swansea, this two-story Georgian Revival house of brick overlooks Mt. Hope Bay. Boston architect R. Clipston Sturgis designed it with a rectangular gabled main block and two four-bay wings extending south toward the water. The entrance has a full-height portico with Doric columns, flanked by gabled wall dormers, and the south porch was enclosed with multi-pane sash around 1930. Brick is unusual in Swansea, where year-round and summer homes are generally clad in wood. The house was built by Harold Anthony on land his father, David M. Anthony, bought in 1883 and farmed before building a summer residence there in 1895. David Anthony sold land to Fall River families who built their own summer homes. Harold Anthony built his house as a permanent residence and helped lead the shift of Swansea from summer resort toward suburban town, with many summer homes on Gardner's Neck later winterized. The property remains a residence on about 1.7 acres.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to the early 20th-century suburbanization of Gardner's Neck in South Swansea, when summer colonies became year-round residential areas. It is also a prominent architect-designed house built of brick, an unusual material for homes in Swansea, where wood is typical.
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 90000058, listed February 12, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 132 Bay Point Ave., Swansea |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 12, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000058 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | R. Clipston Sturgis (architect) |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; condition is described as excellent. The south porch was enclosed around 1930. |
| Acreage | 1.7 |
| Coordinates | 41.71091, -71.21149 (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 90000058.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5660883
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.