Collins, William, House
Why it's listed
This small farmhouse at 3775 North Main Street in Fall River dates from about 1800 and was built as a residence for William Collins. It is a 1 1/2 story clapboard house with a five-bay front, center hall plan, center chimney, box cornice with dentils, and dentilled window cornices and door entablature. Cap-molded lintels in the Italianate manner were added in the mid-19th century. A barn and shed remain on the large wooded lot, which also has stone retaining walls and wooden fencing. The house is one of six along North Main Street in the Steep Brook area regarded as the best surviving examples of the city's pre-industrial period. Together they show Steep Brook's early prominence and Fall River's original agricultural character, in contrast to the development that followed construction of the first textile mill in 1811. It was listed for its association with that early settlement history and for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The house is described as one of six in the Steep Brook area considered the best representatives of the city's pre-industrial era. Its wooded lot, stone retaining walls and wooden fencing evoke the early settlement period. It was found to meet criteria A and C as a notable, well-maintained early house.
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 83000654, listed February 16, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3775 N. Main St., Fall River |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000654 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal Cottage |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as well-maintained and well-sited; used as a single-family residence at the time of the survey. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 41.72085, -71.12414 (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 83000654.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14716040
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.