Cole, Benjamin, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1701 by Benjamin Cole (1678-1748), this farmhouse at 412 Old Warren Road is recorded as the oldest documented house in Swansea. It is a 2½-story, gabled, clapboarded building with a symmetrical five-bay facade, a center entry under a hipped enclosure with wide corner pilasters, a double-pile plan, and a massive brick center chimney. A 1½-story rear ell was added around 1850. Evidence of later 18th-century remodeling includes the treatment of the main doorway and the double range of rooms under a wide gable roof. The farm was owned first by the Coles and later by the Wilbur family, who ran it from the early 19th century into the 20th. Dairy farming was its focus, supplemented by market gardening around the turn of the 20th century. Sited on a knoll facing a colonial road through Old Swansea, it represents the dispersed, self-sufficient farmsteads typical of local settlement. A barn from about 1890 also contributes to the property.
Significance in brief: The form describes it as the oldest documented house in Swansea and an intact farmstead reflecting early agricultural settlement of Old Swansea (Criterion A). It is also a well-preserved Georgian/Federal vernacular farmhouse with a massive brick center chimney (Criterion C). Significance is local.
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 90000066, listed February 16, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 412 Old Warren Rd., Swansea |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000066 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Through about 1900 (reviewer comment: period extends to 1900 to include the c.1890 barn and the farmstead's 18th-19th century evolution) |
| Architect / builder | Benjamin Cole (builder, per historical narrative); architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Georgian/Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; condition listed as excellent. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 41.74204, -71.23204 (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 90000066.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4888417
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.