Dean, Jonathan, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1766 for Jonathan Dean, this wood-frame cottage at 175 Dean Street in Taunton was recorded as a residence. Dean belonged to the founding Dean family, who established early farms along the Dean Street and Summer Street corridor during the agricultural settlement of central Taunton. The house is a one-and-a-half-story gable-roof cottage with a large central chimney, close-cropped eaves and clapboard walls. Its standout features are a door framed by fluted pilasters and a frieze enriched with a continuous festoon motif. The survey describes it as the most highly detailed of Taunton's eighteenth-century gable-roof cottages. It has no outbuildings, has not been altered or moved, and retains its location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. These qualities led to its recognition as an outstanding, well-preserved example of a Federal period cottage under the architectural criterion. The boundaries follow the current lot lines.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the most highly detailed of Taunton's 18th-century gable-roof cottages, built during the agricultural settlement of the Dean Street and Summer Street corridor. It is exceptional for its fluted pilaster-trimmed door, a frieze with a continuous festoon motif, and its excellent state of preservation. It is said to meet criterion C as a well-preserved Federal period cottage.
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 84002106, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 175 Dean St., Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002106 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a residence; the form records no alterations and no moves, and describes the house as being in an excellent state of preservation. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.90661, -71.06729 (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 84002106.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6272930
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.