Bassett, C.J.H., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1851 at 20 Chestnut Street in Taunton, this frame house was made for Charles Jarvis Hunt Bassett, a prominent local attorney and president of the Taunton Bank. Its irregular plan gives it a picturesque appearance, and it has a bellcast gable roof. Gothic Revival features include vergeboards incised and punched with quatrefoil motifs and pointed-arched windows in the roof dormers. Other windows are segmental-arched and round-arched, and the entrance sits in a recess with a segmental-arched transom and sidelights. Front and side porches rest on chamfered posts with simple cut brackets. The architect is unknown, though the design may have been influenced by Richard Upjohn, who carried out several commissions in Taunton in the 1850s. The house was listed as the city's most fully developed Gothic Revival example of its size and for its link to the Bassett family, whose descendants lived there until about 1950. The form notes it retains its original location, design, materials and setting, and it remains a residence.
Significance in brief: The house is described as Taunton's most fully developed example of Gothic Revival in a house of its size and may reflect the influence of Richard Upjohn. It is also tied to the prominent Bassett family, whose descendants lived there until about 1950, during Taunton's most prosperous era.
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 84002091, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 20 Chestnut St., Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002091 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a residence in present use; the form states it is unaltered and has not been moved. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 41.90350, -71.08986 (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 84002091.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715426
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.