Conant, Exercise, House
Also known as: The Reverend John Chipman House
Why it's listed
At 634 Cabot Street in Beverly, Massachusetts, a late seventeenth-century single-cell house survives as the northern ell of a larger two-and-a-half-story Georgian dwelling. The older section, associated with Exercise Conant and dated c. 1695, has a three-bay front, a steep roof, and a large chimney at its junction with the main house. Inside, the single room measures about 12 by 19 feet and keeps its exposed oak frame, molded posts, chamfered summer beam and girts with lamb's tongue stops. The Reverend John Chipman acquired the property in 1715 and presumably built the larger main house for his parish duties and family of fifteen children. That house has a dentillated cornice, a fine doorway with fluted pilasters and a broken-arch pediment, and raised-field paneling in the north parlor. The property is significant because the original house remains nearly intact and shows how First Period houses were enlarged and reduced to utilitarian ells in the following period.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property under Criterion C for its nearly intact late seventeenth-century First Period frame, which survives as the ell of a larger Second Period structure. It shows how single-cell houses were enlarged and demoted to utilitarian ells. The main house is also tied to the Reverend John Chipman.
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 90000199, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 634 Cabot St., Beverly |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000199 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; main house built by the Reverend John Chipman |
| Architectural style | First Period / Second Period |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; used as a residence; not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.57591, -70.89579 (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 90000199.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5420024
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.