Kingsley House
Why it's listed
Kingsley House, at 96 Davis Street in Rehoboth, is a residence dating to about 1680 and traditionally considered the oldest house in town. It follows the medieval building tradition of southern New England in the late seventeenth century, with an asymmetrical front and a one-room-deep plan. Original features include an oak chimney tree sixteen inches wide, stairs made of solid oak logs, chamfered summer beams, gunstock posts and corner wind braces. A rear lean-to was added before 1785 and a west ell in the nineteenth century. The house appears to have been built by John Kingsley, an early Rehoboth proprietor whose 1676 pleading account is the only surviving written record of the effects of King Philip's War on the first settlement. Later owner Aaron Kingsley ran a sawmill and was among the town's wealthiest men. The Kingsleys were active Baptists, and the remote site is described as an early effort to avoid persecution.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Rehoboth's finest and most intact example of First Period domestic architecture, with original features such as a chimney tree, oak-log stairs and chamfered summer beams. It is also tied to the early Kingsley family, including John Kingsley, whose 1676 account records the effects of King Philip's War. Its remote southern siting is described as an early effort to avoid religious persecution.
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 83000688, listed June 6, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 96 Davis St., Rehoboth |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | June 6, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000688 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; builder appears to have been John Kingsley |
| Architectural style | First Period |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; the form describes the main house as little changed since the mid 19th century. |
| Coordinates | 41.77913, -71.26028 (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 83000688.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6413317
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.