Knapp, Seth, Jr. House
Why it's listed
Built around 1735 for Ichabod Wood, this brick gambrel-roof cottage at 82 Water Street in Rehoboth is the only surviving brick house in town built before 1850. Its four-bay front has an entrance offset to the left and narrow windows typical of the period. The bricks are laid in garden wall bond, except the east end wall, which was rebuilt in the mid 19th century with larger bricks in common bond. Nearby brickworks on the Palmer River probably supplied the original bricks. The canted end chimney design is rare. The house sits near the area of Rehoboth's first settlement, a quarter mile from a prime industrial site and from the first Meetinghouse at Palmer River, built in 1720. Seth Knapp, Jr. owned it from 1758 to 1813 and ran a shoemaker's shop on the property. Changes include a 1-story ell from about 1850 and a modernized second floor with dormers from about 1955. Limited archaeological testing in 1975 found artifacts from before about 1730.
Significance in brief: It is the only surviving brick house built before 1850 in Rehoboth and has a rare canted end chimney design. It is also one of the earliest surviving houses in the area of the town's first settlement, near an early industrial site and the first Meetinghouse at Palmer River. Limited archaeological testing found artifacts predating about 1730, and further research might show it meets criterion D.
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 83000689, listed June 6, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 82 Water St., Rehoboth |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | June 6, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000689 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a residence; the second floor was modernized and dormers added about 1955. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 41.81287, -71.28049 (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 83000689.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7456527
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.