Fuller, Lieut. Thomas, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1684 on Old South Main Street in Middleton, this clapboarded house is a two and one-half story, central-chimney dwelling with a five-bay facade. A rear leanto existed by 1690 and was later raised to two stories in the 19th century, and further additions and a Victorian bow window followed. Its importance lies in the timber frame. The first-floor rooms on either side of the chimney use transverse summers carried on two-story posts, a layout found in only a small number of Massachusetts First Period houses. The beams have flat chamfers ending in an unusual combination of collar and cove stop. It is the earliest Middleton house with this feature and sits at the northerly end of the road later extended from Salem to Andover, where Thomas Fuller served as an overseer of highways. Boxing still covers parts of the framing, so further study could reveal more about late seventeenth-century decorative treatment and joist spacing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house embodies distinctive framing and decorative characteristics of seventeenth-century construction, notably transverse summers on the first floor supported by posts, which is found in relatively few Massachusetts First Period houses. It is the earliest house in Middleton with this feature. Unexposed framing may also yield further information on First Period architecture.
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 90000242, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Old S. Main St. between Mt. Vernon and Boston Sts., Middleton |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000242 |
| 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 described as good; in present use as a residence. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.59218, -71.01353 (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 90000242.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6544378
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.