Foster, William, House
Why it's listed
Set back from Central Street in Andover, this house sits within the remaining five acres of its original farm, which keeps an agricultural feel in an otherwise suburban area. Its oldest part is a two-story, three-bay frame dated to about 1720 by visual analysis, with quirk-beaded timbers typical of transitional First Period houses. A transverse first-floor summer beam is an unusual feature. Around 1750 a one-room addition built from a reused frame was attached at the southwest corner, and about 1790-1800 a larger two-story central-chimney house was added to the north. A 19th- and 20th-century ell gives the house a modified U-plan. The Federal staircase, mantels and doors remain from the later work. William Foster Jr. kept a school here for about 25 boys for 22 years, and the late 18th-century additions provided more dormitory space. The house was listed for its architecture and its potential to yield further information about early construction.
Significance in brief: The house keeps a surviving transitional First Period frame with quirk-beaded timbers typical of 1720s houses, and an unusual transverse summer beam tied to its one-cell plan. The southwest addition may hold further information. It is also linked to American education history, since William Foster Jr. ran a boys' school here for 22 years.
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 90000191, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 96 Central St., Andover |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000191 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | First Period (transitional) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; clapboards were sandblasted before repainting in 1986, and the house was renovated in 1965. Present use is residence. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 42.64731, -71.14620 (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 90000191.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8009257
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.