Briggs Tavern
Why it's listed
Briggs Tavern, at 2 Anawan Street in Rehoboth, is a Federal-style building dating to about 1780. It served originally as both a residence and a tavern and is now a residence. It stands about 40 feet from the street at a T intersection of Anawan and Tremont Streets, two early transportation routes, in an open rural setting. It is regarded as Rehoboth's only known surviving commercial building from the Federal period and as the town's most intact and sophisticated example of a center hall, double internal chimney plan house. Notable features include splayed window lintels, which are rare in Rehoboth, panelled chimney breasts, chair rails and cornice trim. Its chimney bases are also unusual, built of four wooden posts carrying a wooden crib, where most local examples use fieldstone piers. The building reflects the growth of northern Rehoboth in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Later changes include a 19th-century side ell and an altered entrance surround.
Significance in brief: It is described as Rehoboth's only known surviving commercial building of the Federal period and its most intact and sophisticated example of a center hall, double internal chimney plan house. It keeps well-crafted interior and exterior details and an unusual wooden crib chimney base. Its location at the Stevens Corner intersection reflects the area's growth from the late 18th through 19th centuries.
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 83000636, listed June 6, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2 Anawan St., Rehoboth |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | June 6, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000636 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; original use was residence and tavern. A 19th-century side ell was added and the entrance surround was altered, possibly in the 1930s. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 41.90378, -71.21874 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 83000636.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4967278
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.