Smith, John Mace, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1844, this small Greek Revival house at 399 North Main Street in Fall River has a temple-front form, with a full Ionic portico of five columns and a pediment trimmed with dentils. It is a 1½-story clapboard building. The land was part of the Rodman Farm and was sold to John Mace Smith in 1843. Smith was later associated with the American Print-works. The house passed to his daughter Lydia and her husband, the Rev. H.S. Fellows. In the 1890s a physician, John W. Coughlin, lived and kept his office here and may have added the rear ell. The house belongs to a group of fine Greek Revival homes put up on North Main Street by mill-owners and merchants after the 1843 fire. Its cantilevered 'flying staircase', floor plan and moldings resemble the work of Russell Warren, a Rhode Island architect. The house later became law offices, and it was listed for its architectural quality, its scarcity, and its links to local industry and commerce.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of a cluster of outstanding Greek Revival houses built by early mill-owners and merchants after the 1843 fire. Its design details recall the work of Russell Warren, a prominent Rhode Island architect. It is also tied to figures in Fall River's industrial and commercial development, and buildings of this age and type are scarce.
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 83000717, listed February 16, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 399 N. Main St., Fall River |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000717 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as law offices; a letter in the file says the building was recently restored inside and out. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.71596, -71.15457 (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 83000717.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6246210
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.