Barker, Stephen, House
Also known as: Woodland Cottage
Why it's listed
Woodland Cottage, at 165 Haverhill Street in Methuen, is a Greek Revival house dating to 1839, with later additions. It is described as one of the town's most unusual residences. Six gable-roofed dormers are an original part of the design by owner Stephen Barker, and a fluted Doric column porch runs around three sides of the steep gable roof. The side-hall entry is framed by glazed sidelights and a transom. The property also has a carriage house/garage that reportedly contains structural members from a 1737 barn, along with two barns. Barker, a surveyor, reportedly modeled the house on antebellum mansions he had seen in the South. It is valued as a well-conserved country residence, one of several handsome houses built on the edge of the Methuen settlement in the mid 19th century. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship, and is still a private home in a mixed residential and commercial area.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-conserved country residence, one of several handsome houses built at the edge of the Methuen settlement in the mid 19th century. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship and meets criterion C. Its design is described as one of Methuen's most unusual, with original dormers and a column porch.
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 84002307, listed January 20, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 165 Haverhill St., Methuen |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | January 20, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002307 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Stephen Barker (surveyor and owner, reportedly built it); architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is private residence; the form reports no major alterations. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.70674, -71.19880 (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 84002307.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7608652
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.