Abbot-Battles House
Why it's listed
This two-story clapboard farmhouse at 31 Lowell Street in Andover dates to about 1809-1810. Jeduthan Abbot Jr., a farmer, built it after buying 40 acres of mowing, tillage and woodland from his father, apparently to house his own growing family. The house has a hip roof, a five-bay facade with 12/12 windows, and a center doorway with leaded glass sidelights. An Ionic-columned portico with a roof balustrade and urns shelters the entrance, and the doorway was altered in the 1870s. Ownership passed in 1839 to Winslow Battles, a machinist, and remained with his descendants until 1950. That shift from farming families to a machinist's household is cited as evidence of mid-19th-century economic change. The house is also valued as a well-preserved example of Federal architecture in Andover, with its original design, materials, workmanship and setting largely intact. It remains a residence today.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant for showing economic change in the mid-19th century, when ownership passed from farmers to a machinist, and as a good example of the Federal style in Andover. It retains integrity of design, materials, workmanship and setting.
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 82001905, listed June 10, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 31 Lowell St., Andover |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | June 10, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001905 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the form describes excellent preservation and a pristine setting. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.67139, -71.15380 (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 82001905.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4664187
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.