Abbot, J. T., House
Why it's listed
Built between 1844 and 1850 at 34 Essex Street in Andover, this small Gothic Revival cottage was made for Joseph Thompson Abbot by Jacob Chickering, who bought the undeveloped lot in 1844 and sold it with a dwelling by 1850. The house is 1½ stories with a gable roof, three cross gables on the side, clapboard walls, and scroll-sawn bargeboards on the main and cross gables. Other details include a lancet gable window, drip moldings over six-over-six windows, a polygonal bay window with wooden cresting, and an offset doorway under a small portico with clustered pilasters. The nomination describes it as containing some of Andover's most lively ornamentation in the style, and the portico as unrepeated in the town. Chickering is identified as the town's leading mid-19th-century architectural designer. Abbot's wife, Betsey Kershaw Abbot, kept the house in the family until her death in 1900. The house retains its integrity and is still residential.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an excellent example of Andover's Gothic Revival architecture, with some of the town's most lively ornamentation in that style. It is also notable as the work of Jacob Chickering, described as Andover's leading architectural designer of the mid-19th century. The property 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 82004814, listed June 10, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 34 Essex St., Andover |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | June 10, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004814 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Jacob Chickering |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential, the same as its original use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.65638, -71.14297 (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 82004814.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715622
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.