Coker, Benjamin, House
Why it's listed
Originally built near High and Federal Streets and moved to 172 State Street in Newburyport in 1856, this two-story, five-bay house with a central chimney dates to about 1700 on the evidence of its style and construction; no records exist before 1719. It began as a single-cell house and gained a small parlor and chamber on the far side of the chimney in the mid-18th century, followed by a large ell and a rear gabled ell in the 19th century. The oldest section, the chimney bay and left-hand rooms, keeps a principal-and-purlin roof frame with mortises for lost collar beams. In the second-floor chamber, the tie beam carries a two-inch beveled chamfer ending in a lamb's tongue stop, and the posts are exposed and flared. The house is valued for these surviving First Period framing features, which illustrate early plan types and building methods in the region, and it keeps its integrity despite later changes. It was rehabilitated in 1989.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house keeps integrity of design, workmanship and association despite later changes and its move. Its roof frame and second-story tie beam show a distinctive First Period plan type and construction methods. It is nominated under Criterion C.
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 90000247, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 172 State St., Newburyport |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000247 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | First Period |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recently rehabilitated in 1989; present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Newburyport Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.80139, -70.87467 (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 90000247.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4888412
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.