Bailey House
Why it's listed
Dr. Bailey's house at 40 Market Street in Ipswich is a two-story wood-shingled residence dating from about 1900, built between the publication of an 1893 bird's-eye map and a 1910 county atlas. It served as both the home and office of a prominent local physician, and its position on a hilltop overlooking the town's commercial center made it accessible to residents. The house is rectangular in plan with a gable roof pierced by dormers, and a one-story verandah wraps its north and west sides. A central polygonal bay dominates the facade and rises through the roof. Diamond-pane and single-pane sash reflect Queen Anne fashion, while the porch carries Colonial Revival details: carved floral decoration in the pediment, dentils at the cornice and Tuscan columns. The nomination describes it as the best example of this blended style in central Ipswich and notes that it retains its original location, design, setting, materials and workmanship.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the best example of Queen Anne/Colonial Revival architecture in central Ipswich. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. It also reflects Ipswich's late nineteenth-century development as the home and office of a prominent local physician. Its hilltop site above the commercial center makes it especially prominent.
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 80000457, listed September 17, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 40 Market St., Ipswich |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | September 17, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000457 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the form lists a private individual owner and a garage outbuilding. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.67859, -70.83936 (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 80000457.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4848364
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.