Hazen-Spiller House
Why it's listed
Built around 1724 by Richard Hazen Jr., this brick house at 8 Groveland Street in Haverhill sits on a high bank overlooking the Merrimack River. It is seven bays wide, one room deep and two and a half stories tall, with a central through hall and chimneys at each end. The walls are laid in English bond with corbelled string courses and segmental arches over the windows. Brick construction of this period is rare; it is one of only three First Period brick examples in the survey and one of two through-hall-plan houses. Notes by an earlier owner indicate that the oak ceiling beams were originally exposed, though never decorated. In 1915 Wallace Nutting restored the house, added the rear brick ell, installed leaded casement windows and put in new wood sheathing around the fireplaces. Although that work removed early finishes, it made the house part of Nutting's chain of historic houses, whose interiors he photographed and published.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house meets Criterion C as a rare surviving example of First Period brick masonry construction, one of only three in the survey. It is also one of two through-hall-plan houses in the survey, and its exposed but undecorated frame reflects First Period practice. It is further tied to Wallace Nutting's 1915 restoration and his chain of historic houses.
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 90000226, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 8 Groveland St., Haverhill |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000226 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Richard Hazen Jr. (builder); Wallace Nutting restoration ca. 1915, with architect Henry Charles Dean |
| Architectural style | First Period/Transitional |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good, and the present use is residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.77033, -71.06331 (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 90000226.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5688229
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.