Eldridge House
Why it's listed
Built around 1850 at 172 County Street in Taunton, this clapboard house was probably constructed for N. Eldridge, a laborer, in what was then a small farming settlement around the junction of County and Williams Streets. Eldridge's widow continued to live there until the 1880s. The house is a broad-gabled, central-hall Greek Revival design with two upper levels within its gable. Its doorway has a classical pilaster and entablature surround with sidelights, and the 6/6 sash windows have wood lintelboards and sills. Corner pilasters and eaves returns define the walls. This house type was common in the 1840s across northern Worcester County, southern New Hampshire and the Connecticut River Valley, but it is very rare in Southeastern Massachusetts. The house is virtually unaltered and is considered the only surviving example of the type in Taunton, which is the basis for its architectural significance. A small frame shed stands on the lot, and the house is still used as a residence.
Significance in brief: The house is a virtually unaltered example of a broad-gabled, central-entry Greek Revival house type that is very rare in Southeastern Massachusetts. It is described as the sole surviving example of this mid-19th-century residential type in Taunton. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association.
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 84002114, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 172 County St., Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002114 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; the form states the building is unaltered and has not been moved. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 41.89590, -71.07659 (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 84002114.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5354177
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.