Viall, Samuel, House
Why it's listed
Set about 30 feet from Carpenter Street in rural Rehoboth, this small cottage began around 1800 as an outbuilding, probably a wash house and summer kitchen built by Peter or Thomas Carpenter. Samuel Viall bought it around 1850 and it was completely remodelled into a one-and-one-half story Greek Revival sidehall-plan house. The original brick foundation, unusual in Rehoboth, rises to a full story on the south side, where a center chimney, fireplace, oven and exposed post-and-beam framing survive. Inside, door and window moldings echo the channelled pilasters seen on larger Greek Revival buildings such as the Village Congregational Church. The north room was enlarged in 1953, with the original dado and trim reused or replicated. The Viall family, prosperous dairy farmers, owned the property into the twentieth century. It was listed for its architecture as a handsome example of an uncommon local house type that also shows the evolution of building form.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well detailed and proportioned example of a three-bay sidehall Greek Revival cottage, a type that was uncommon in Rehoboth. It also shows how buildings in this conservative, economically limited town were repeatedly transformed in the 19th century. It is the only house built on Carpenter Street between the early 19th and mid 20th centuries.
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 83000728, listed June 6, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 85 Carpenter St., Rehoboth |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | June 6, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000728 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; core probably built by Peter or Thomas Carpenter |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is as a residence; the property has an attached garage and sunporch and a barn moved south of the house around 1940. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 41.85473, -71.25367 (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 83000728.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7412827
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.