Goodale, Isaac, House
Why it's listed
This five-bay, one-room-deep, 2 1/2-story clapboarded house at 141 Argilla Road in Ipswich dates to about 1690-1700. It was built in what is now Peabody, traditionally for Isaac Goodale, and remained in the Goodale family until 1918. Collateral descendants had it dismantled and re-erected on its present site in 1929, with carpenter Eugene Dow in charge of restoring its First Period appearance. Inside, the downstairs rooms are 18 feet square and have transverse summer beams, chamfered posts and half-round moldings at the post shoulders. A wall of Second Period paneling, unusual for Essex County and related to Connecticut Valley work, was kept. The house is recognized for its well-preserved First Period frame, typical of houses in the Salem area, and as a careful early 20th-century restoration in which no materials were brought in from other buildings. A lean-to was added in the 18th century, and a kitchen wing and porch in 1929.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house keeps the integrity of its First Period frame, which shows distinctive characteristics of form and construction under Criterion C. Its transverse summer beam framing is typical of Salem-area houses, and the half-round molding on the post shoulders is a distinctive variation. It is also an example of early 20th-century restoration of First Period houses on the North Shore.
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 90000232, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 141 Argilla Rd., Ipswich |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000232 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; carpenter Eugene Dow directed the 1929 rebuilding and restoration |
| Architectural style | First Period |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good; present use is residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.66059, -70.79905 (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 90000232.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6076381
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.