Field, Albert, Tack Company
Why it's listed
Built in 1868 at 19 Spring Street in Taunton, this common-bond brick building with brownstone trim served as the office of Albert Field's tack works. Its Italianate styling is unusually elaborate for an industrial building, and a series of extensive brick ells extends from it. The site on the Mill River had been used for industry since the early 18th century, including wool carding, dyeing and snuff production. Field, a native of Sharon, began making tacks in the 1820s in two leased rooms, bought the mill by 1850, and eventually offered about 2,200 varieties of nail products, exhibiting them worldwide. The company later added a second factory across the street and a third in Fairhaven. It was absorbed by the Atlas Tack Company in 1896 and closed in 1902. The building later housed a Pentecostal church, contractors' offices and other tenants. It was listed for its architecture and its link to Taunton's iron industries.
Significance in brief: The building is described as an unusually high-style industrial structure and an outstanding local example of Italianate industrial architecture. It housed one of Taunton's most successful 19th-century iron-related manufacturing enterprises. The form states it meets criteria A and C.
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 84002117, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 19 Spring St., Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002117 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is given as offices and sporting goods manufacturing; earlier uses included a Pentecostal church (1930s) and contractor's offices (1940s-70s). Described as unaltered and not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 41.89929, -71.09093 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 84002117.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4710193
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.