Macomber, Calvin T., House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built around 1885 for Calvin T. Macomber, this house at 312 W. Brittania Street in Taunton, Massachusetts, is a Queen Anne style residence set about 45 feet back from the street on a lot of roughly 0.9 acre. The wood-frame building is clad in clapboards and has a highly irregular plan, with many projections and ells. A steep hip roof covers the main block and is broken by chimneys and numerous dormers. A screened entrance porch occupies part of the facade. Its most distinctive feature is the incised sunflower and vase decoration on the second-floor window jambs, an ornament associated with the Queen Anne style but uncommon in Taunton. The house was recognized as one of the most complex examples of that style in the city and as an unusual expression of Queen Anne residential design. It retains its original location, design, setting, materials and workmanship, and it has no outbuildings. The architect is not known.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is among the most complex examples of Queen Anne architecture in Taunton, with an asymmetrical plan and varied details. Its incised vase and sunflower motif on second-story window jambs is associated with Queen Anne ornament but rarely seen in the city. It meets criterion C as an unusual expression of the style.
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 84002174, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 312 W. Brittania St., Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002174 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a residence; the form records no alterations and no move. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.91832, -71.10656 (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 84002174.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5024506
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.