Colony Historic District
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Seven cottages at the tip of Gardner's Neck in South Swansea make up this small seaside community, set between Mt. Hope Bay and Lee's River. It began in 1896, when David Anthony sold four acres to Robert Wilcox and Eric Borden, who divided the land into lots along a private road, Mattapoisett Avenue. Lot owners shared rights to the road, the beach, a boat landing and well water. Buyers were mostly Fall River businessmen seeking summer homes away from the industrial city. Five of the houses, built between 1896 and about 1930, contribute to the district. Broad gambrel roofs and wood shingle siding give the group its character, with Shingle Style cottages from 1896 and 1898 and later Colonial Revival and Dutch Colonial houses. Hurricanes in 1938 and 1954 led to heavy rebuilding on the waterfront lots. The district was recognized for its link to resort and suburban development and as an intact, distinctive group of shore cottages.
Significance in brief: The district is tied to the turn-of-the-20th-century summer resort and later suburban growth of Swansea, when Fall River businessmen sought escape from the city. It is also a well-preserved, intact grouping of Shingle and Colonial Revival cottages, mostly with gambrel roofs, that the form calls unique in Swansea.
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 90000079, listed February 16, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Gardner's Neck and Mattapoisett Rds. at Mt. Hope Bay, Swansea |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000079 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1896-ca. 1930 |
| Architect / builder | Edward Marvel (architect of 15 Mattapoisett Avenue; possibly 28 Mattapoisett Avenue); A.T. Marvel (designer-builder of his own cottage); J.M. Darling of Fall River (builder of 28 Mattapoisett Avenue) |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style and Colonial Revival (including Dutch Colonial Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential and general condition is good. Two parcels and the eastern waterfront edge remain vacant; two of the seven cottages are noncontributing, and two of the early cottages are still summer residences. |
| Acreage | 4.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.70940, -71.20611 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 90000079.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5148499
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.