Chase-Hyde Farm
Why it's listed
This farm complex at 1281-1291 New Boston Road in Fall River includes a small mansard-roofed house, a barn and a former windmill, all surrounded by a fieldstone and granite retaining wall. Abraham and Abby Chase built the 1½-story Second Empire house around 1879, a type of small cottage typical of the 1870s. By 1893 Samuel Hyde owned the property and ran a stock farm there. Building permits show he added outbuildings in 1893 and 1897, and he may also have been responsible for the porch and porte-cochère added about 1900. The property was listed for its picturesque rural character and its intact architectural elements, and because it is one of the few surviving farms in Fall River. The city's granite ledges gave poor soil for farming, so its growth came through industry, and reminders of its 19th century agricultural past are rare. The house is still residential and has been converted to apartments.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex is significant for its rural, picturesque quality and intact architectural elements. It is also one of the few remaining farms in Fall River, a city whose growth rested on industry because its granite ledges made poor farmland. It is judged to meet Criteria A and C.
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 83000651, listed February 16, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1281-1291 New Boston Rd., Fall River |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000651 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Abraham & Abby Chase (original owners and builders of the house, c.1879); Samuel Hyde added the outbuildings in the 1890s |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the house is now an apartment. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 41.71759, -71.12493 (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 83000651.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5087070
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.