House at 50 Pelham Street
Why it's listed
Built around 1875 on Pelham Street in Methuen, this 2½-story Italianate house reflects the housing that grew up near the town center and its mills. It has a rectangular plan with a side-hall entry. A projecting bay, bracketed eaves and a round-arch window in the gable end decorate the front facade. Windows have projecting lintels and two-over-two sash, and the clapboard-sided walls rest on a granite foundation. A simple pitched-roof barn at the rear appears to date from about the same time. The house was listed because it is a well-preserved home tied to workers at the Methuen Cotton Mills and other factories along the Spicket River. Similar houses remain in town, but few survive in such fine condition. The survey records no major alterations, and the property has served as a private residence and a dance school.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a well-preserved example of the late Italianate house type found near Methuen's town center and its mills. It is associated with workers at the Methuen Cotton Mills and other Spicket River factories. The form says it keeps integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship, and that few similar houses survive in such fine condition.
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 84002392, listed January 20, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 50 Pelham St., Methuen |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | January 20, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002392 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a private residence and dance school at the time of the survey; the form lists no major alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.72577, -71.19227 (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 84002392.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914373
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.