Friend, James, House
Why it's listed
Located at 114 Cedar Street in Wenham, this five-bay, 2 1/2 story house dates from about 1699 to 1725 and is tied to James Friend, a carpenter and hewer of timber. In 1699 the town granted Friend liberty to cut timber for shingles, perhaps for building the house. It began as a double-cell, central-chimney dwelling, with a lean-to added before 1738. In the 19th century the rear was raised to a full two stories and the roof rebuilt. Around 1850 an Italianate staircase replaced the removed chimney. In the early 20th century the house was moved back from the road and covered with stucco. Inside, an exposed late First Period frame survives, including a chamfered chimney post, flat-chamfered ceiling beams, splayed corner posts, tie beams and original attic rafters. Mid-18th-century cyma-molded cornices also remain. The house was listed for its well-preserved early framing, which represents modest First Period construction in Wenham.
Significance in brief: The house retains integrity of materials, design and workmanship in its late First Period frame. It embodies distinctive characteristics of form and construction under Criterion C. It represents modestly decorated First Period building in Wenham in the early 18th century.
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 90000268, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 114 Cedar St., Wenham |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000268 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | First Period |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; condition stated as good. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.59628, -70.90580 (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 90000268.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715626
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.