Brown, Austin, House
Why it's listed
Located at 1028 Bay Road in Hamilton, this house began around 1725 as a double-cell, First Period dwelling. An 18th-century lean-to was added, and a photograph from 1898 shows it clapboarded with a two-story lean-to and an ell on the left. A right-hand ell followed by 1907. In 1915 the house was enlarged again, stuccoed, given a higher roof with three dormers, and fitted with porches, turning it into a Colonial Revival country estate. Inside, an exposed decorated oak frame survives in the left-hand room and the upstairs chambers, with chamfered summer beams and deeply jowled posts. A Second Period paneled fireplace wall with a molded mantel shelf also remains. In the late 19th century Austin Brown lived here and kept diaries from 1858 to about 1900, now held by the Hamilton Historical Society. The house was listed for its architecture, since its late First Period frame illustrates local joinery and framing practices.
Significance in brief: The house keeps its late First Period frame, which shows distinctive form and construction and is representative of a larger group of late First Period buildings. It adds to knowledge of framing practices among Hamilton joiners. It also shows early 20th century Colonial Revival architecture built around an authentic colonial core.
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 90000222, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1028 Bay Rd., Hamilton |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000222 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | First Period core with Colonial Revival exterior |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded in good condition and in residential use as a country estate on 5.5 acres. |
| Acreage | 5.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.64054, -70.84811 (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 90000222.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4822999
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.