House at 197 Hornbine Road
Why it's listed
Built around 1890 on Hornbine Road in rural Rehoboth, this 1½-story cottage was erected by a member of the Baker family, an early and prominent family in the southern part of town. It is a Victorian bracketed cottage with Italianate detailing, set about 50 feet from the road with its gable flank facing the street. The main block and the side ell each have a central peaked gable, holding double and single round-headed windows respectively. Bracketed eaves, a bracketed door hood and the original entrance door add to its character. Inside, the floor plan is intact and only minor cosmetic changes have been made. Local surveyors considered it the best-preserved example in Rehoboth of this more elaborate version of the common 19th-century cottage type, and it stands out among comparable houses of its period. Its construction also shows how long first-settlement families remained in the town, since little new building was happening at the time.
Significance in brief: The house is described as Rehoboth's best-preserved example of an elaborate Italianate version of the 19th-century 1½-story cottage type. It meets criterion C for its architecture. It also reflects the continued presence of the early Baker family in southern Rehoboth at a time when little new construction was occurring.
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 83000681, listed June 6, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 197 Hornbine Rd., Rehoboth |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | June 6, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000681 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by a member of the Baker family (architect not named) |
| Architectural style | Victorian bracketed cottage with Italianate features |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a private residence; interior floor plan intact with only minor cosmetic alterations. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 41.79111, -71.20005 (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 83000681.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914042
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.