Foster, Phineas, House
Why it's listed
Set on a 3.1-acre lot at 15 Old Topsfield Road in Boxford, this house dates to about 1725 and is an example of First Period construction in Essex County. It is an L-shaped, five-bay, two-story house with a central chimney and a protruding lobby entrance, later enlarged by a two-story rear ell. The right-hand rooms and chimney bay are the earliest part, followed by a second phase to the west. Attic framing of principal rafters and purlins, plus exposed flat-chamfered tie beams and late tusk tenon joints, mark the change between the two phases. Later features include Second Period raised-field paneling, a Federal staircase, and cellar stairs made from reused beams. The nomination finds that the older section may reveal early building methods and that the later addition illustrates transitional framing. Ownership in the early 1700s is poorly documented, though Phineas Foster is recorded there in 1799.
Significance in brief: The form argues the surviving First Period framing in the older section is likely to yield important information about early construction methods (Criterion D). The second-phase addition shows late First Period or transitional framing, including a run-out flat chamfer and an unusually late tusk tenon (Criterion C). The house is also said to retain integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship and feeling.
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 90000193, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 15 Old Topsfield Rd., Boxford |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000193 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | First Period |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as good; the house is in use as a residence. |
| Acreage | 3.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.64887, -70.98011 (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 90000193.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7186350
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.