Weir Engine House
Why it's listed
Built in 1889 at 530 Weir Street, this brick fire station in Taunton, Massachusetts, was designed by Abner Coleman, who served as both architect and the city's second fire chief. It has a two-and-a-half-story main block and a rear ell that houses police functions, both under hipped roofs. Three engine bays have rock-faced granite lintels over segmental-arched openings. Above them, a group of three sash windows in the central second-story bay sits below a gabled wall dormer with cut shingles. A hose-drying tower with a wood balustrade is attached at the rear. The building is one of three Taunton fire stations from the 1880s with Queen Anne details that remain well preserved, and it closely follows Coleman's Whittenton station of the same year. It was listed for its architecture and for its role in serving dense residential and commercial neighborhoods during a period of municipal advancement. It remains in use as a fire and police station.
Significance in brief: It is one of three fire stations built in Taunton in the 1880s with Queen Anne details that remain well preserved. It was designed by Abner Coleman, an architect and Taunton's second fire chief, and closely follows his Whittenton Fire Station design from the same year. It was built to serve dense residential and commercial neighborhoods during a period of municipal advancement.
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 84002263, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 530 Weir St., Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002263 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Abner Coleman |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a fire and police station; described as well preserved, with doors replaced in the 20th century. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.88752, -71.08922 (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 84002263.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7980287
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.