Williams, Enoch, House
Why it's listed
This 1½-story farmhouse at 616 Middleboro Avenue in Taunton dates to about 1850 and follows the Greek Revival style. It has a side-hall, gable-front plan, a recessed wing and an attached 19th-century barn. The side entrance has sidelights and a pilaster-and-entablature surround, corner pilasters support the eaves returns, and the windows are two-over-two sash apart from a louvered triangular vent in the gable. The wooden fence across the front is of the same period as the house and is ornamented with openwork in a repeating lyre-shaped pattern. The farm is linked to Enoch Williams, who likely had the house built after buying several parcels on Middleboro Avenue from neighboring farmers around 1850. His name stays attached to the property through the 19th century. It belonged to the East Taunton Williams family and is one of the largest farms in the area by acreage. The house was judged to retain its original location, design, setting, materials and workmanship, and the nominated boundary covers the house, barn and fence.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to the Williams family, one of the early 19th-century East Taunton families, and belongs to one of the largest farms in the area by acreage. Its open site and unusual lyre-patterned wooden fence give it exceptional visual quality. The form finds it retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association, meeting criterion C.
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 84002280, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 616 Middleboro Ave., Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002280 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a residence; the form records no alterations and no moves. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.88253, -71.02325 (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 84002280.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5379341
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.