Rotch, William J., Gothic Cottage
Also known as: See also: County Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Completed in 1846, this Gothic Revival house at 19 Irving Street in New Bedford was designed by New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis for William J. Rotch, a member of a prominent local family. It has a hipped-roof block crossed by a steeply pitched central gable, a Tudor-arched entrance, an oriel window, carved verge boards and diamond-paned casement windows. The frame is heavy timber, sheathed in flush horizontal boards. The house was moved back on its lot in 1908 and placed on a new granite foundation, and a rear wing was removed. Later changes include added dormer gables and rebuilt chimneys, but much original interior and exterior fabric remains. The house matters because it shows Davis's work in the Gothic cottage mode and his informal partnership with Andrew Jackson Downing. It appeared in Downing's 1850 Architecture of Country Houses and is widely used as an illustration of the style. It remains a private residence.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an outstanding, well-preserved example of Davis's Gothic Revival "cottage-villa" designs and reflects his association with Andrew Jackson Downing. It was illustrated in Downing's 1850 Architecture of Country Houses and has become one of the most reproduced images of the Gothic Revival style. It was also built for one of New Bedford's most important industrial families.
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 06000236, listed February 17, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 19 Irving St., New Bedford |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 17, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000236 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1846 |
| Architect / builder | Davis, Alexander Jackson (1803-1892) |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated February 17, 2006 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a private single-family residence, not open to the public; moved back on its lot in 1908 and altered in some details over time. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | County Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.63051, -70.93195 (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 06000236.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8013326
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.