Brightman, Hathaway, House
Why it's listed
This small house at 205 Crescent Street in Fall River was built around 1858 for Hathaway Brightman. It is a 1½-story, clapboard-sided building with a gable roof and a north-south orientation. Its trim reflects a simplified High Victorian form of the Gothic Revival. The gable above the entrance holds a "pine-tree" Palladian window, and the porch has chamfered posts, corner brackets and a cast-iron rail that is probably original. The survey notes that no occupation is recorded for Brightman and that the circa date is speculative, because directory addresses for the Border City area are vague. The house is considered significant as a particularly fine example of a mid-19th century Gothic cottage. Its detailing is unusual and largely intact, and its picturesque quality recalls an earlier, more rural era. It was listed for its architectural merit. It was still used as a residence when surveyed in 1981.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a particularly fine example of a mid-19th century Gothic cottage, with unusual and largely intact detailing. Its picturesque quality recalls an earlier, more rural era. It is listed under criterion C for its architecture.
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 83000637, listed February 16, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 205 Crescent St., Fall River |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000637 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic (simplified High Victorian Gothic Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence at the time of the survey (1981). |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.73450, -71.14070 (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 83000637.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715523
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.