Follansbee House
Why it's listed
Set well back from Lowell Street in Andover on a sloping lawn, this two-story clapboard house was built around 1835 for Paul Bailey Follansbee, then described as a farmer. It has a cubical form, a low hip roof, wide flat pilasters across the three-bay facade, an entablature, and a center entrance beneath a portico with Ionic columns. Windows on the first floor have pedimented lintels, and brick stables survive as outbuildings. A side addition dates from the twentieth century. The design is described as locally unique, with no precedent for such a high-style building elsewhere in Andover; its origins may lie in Follansbee's native West Newbury. Follansbee later worked as a florist and nurseryman and was an amateur geologist and archeologist who exhibited Indian relics at the town's 1896 anniversary celebration. The house was listed for its Greek Revival design and its retained integrity and near-original setting.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant mainly for its impressive and unique Greek Revival design, which has no precedent in Andover. It retains integrity of design, materials, workmanship and setting, including an extensive sloping lawn, and meets 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 82004485, listed June 10, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 459 Lowell St., Andover |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | June 10, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004485 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residential use; a 20th-century side addition is noted. Original use was also residential. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.64351, -71.20901 (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 82004485.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q42309887
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.