Walkden Farm
Why it's listed
Walkden Farm is a farmhouse and barn on the northwest corner of Marvel Street and Sharps Lot Road in a rural part of northeastern Swansea. The house dates to about 1800 and follows the traditional Federal-period form: five bays, a center entry, a center chimney and a double-pile plan. A hip-roofed entry with corner pilasters, a wide plain frieze and full-length sidelights marks the front, and a one-story gabled ell extends from the main block. Asbestos shingles, probably added in the mid-20th century, cover the walls but have not altered the massing or fenestration. A gambrel-roofed barn from about 1885 stands to the north. The farm is linked to dairy farming in the 19th and early 20th centuries and to market gardening in the first half of the 20th century. Marshall Walkden, a dairy farmer, owned it in the late 19th century. Its placement reflects the scattered pattern of farm settlement in Swansea.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm illustrates the dispersed, agriculture-based settlement of Swansea in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is also a good example of typical Swansea farmhouse construction of the Federal period and is tied to dairy farming and market gardening.
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 90000071, listed February 16, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 495 Marvel St., Swansea |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000071 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence; condition described as fair. Asbestos shingles were probably applied in the mid-20th century. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 41.77652, -71.17187 (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 90000071.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7962167
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.