House at 13 Annis Street
Why it's listed
Built around 1880, this two-story clapboard house on Annis Street in Methuen's Arlington Mills neighborhood is an Italianate dwelling with a gable roof, sidehall plan and projecting tripartite bay. Standard trim, including a dentil cornice, a bracketed entry hood and diamond-pattern window enframements, gives a modest house an attractive appearance. Annis Street was among the first streets in the western part of the Arlington District to be developed, driven by the expansion of the Arlington Mills along Stevens Pond on the Spicket River. The mills employed thousands of Lawrence and Methuen workers but owned little housing, so speculators built inexpensive homes for sale to woolen mill workers. This house represents that type of worker housing. It was listed because it survives in good condition in an area with considerable demolition and alteration, retaining its location, setting, design and workmanship, and because of its architectural character.
Significance in brief: The house represents the inexpensive dwellings that speculators built for woolen mill workers when the Arlington Mills expanded. It is a well-preserved example in an area that has seen considerable demolition and alteration. It retains integrity of location, setting, design and workmanship.
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 84002387, listed January 20, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 13 Annis St., Methuen |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | January 20, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002387 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a private residence; the form reports no major alterations, no outbuildings, and that the house has not been moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.71974, -71.17837 (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 84002387.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715567
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.