Gardner, Joseph, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1795 at 1205 Gardner's Neck Road in Swansea, this 1½-story, five-bay cape with a central brick chimney began as a farmhouse for Joseph Gardner, son of Col. Peleg Gardner. Peleg's father, Samuel, helped buy Gardner's Neck in 1693. Joseph bought the adjoining parcel from his brother John, and the Gardners farmed the land until 1854. In 1874 the house and 50 acres passed to Andrew J. Borden and William Almy of Fall River, and the Bordens used it as a summer residence. Around 1877 a 17-foot, three-bay double-pile addition was built on the south end, adding a second front door and a columned porch for the Almy family. Several families used the house in summer until it became a year-round home in 1946. It is valued as one of the few remaining Gardner-era buildings on the Neck and as an example of a farmhouse converted to summer use.
Significance in brief: It is one of the few surviving buildings from the 18th-century Gardner family settlement of Gardner's Neck in South Swansea. It also shows how 18th-century farmhouses on the Neck were adapted into late 19th-century summer homes, notably with a ca. 1877 south addition.
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 90000076, listed February 16, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1205 Gardner's Neck Rd., Swansea |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000076 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; in use as a present residence. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.71863, -71.20370 (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 90000076.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15229750
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.