Barneyville Historic District
Why it's listed
Barneyville is a small riverside village in northwestern Swansea, Massachusetts, where houses from about 1750 to the early 20th century line Old Providence and Barneyville Roads on both banks of the Palmer River. The district covers roughly 27 acres and includes 13 contributing and 16 noncontributing resources. Settlement began with the Rev. John Myles's garrisoned home, after 1663. The village took its name and identity from the Barney shipyard, begun by Jonathan Barney and expanded by his son Mason, whose yard launched 137 ships between 1803 and 1859. Jewelry manufacturing, started by Daniel R. Child, replaced shipbuilding until the early 1920s. Surviving buildings include Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival and Colonial Revival houses, among them the ca. 1750 Barney House and the Mason Barney House. A 1938 concrete bridge, site markers and a golf course also lie within the boundaries. The district keeps its rural character and is entirely residential today.
Significance in brief: The district holds the greatest concentration of buildings tied to the village's growth from the mid-18th to early 20th century. Barneyville grew from an agricultural settlement into a self-sufficient village built on the Barney shipyard and later jewelry manufacturing. It is described as meeting Criteria A and C at the local level.
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 90000052, listed February 16, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Old Providence and Barneyville Rds., Swansea |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000052 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1750-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Jonathan Barney (built the double house at 22-24 Barneyville Road and the family homestead) |
| Architectural style | Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival and Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now entirely residential and in good general condition; the house at 331 Old Providence Road is described as currently abandoned. |
| Acreage | 27 |
| Coordinates | 41.77173, -71.28108 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 90000052.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4861811
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.