Kimball, Solomon, House
Why it's listed
This house at 26 Maple Street in Wenham began around 1700 as a single-cell, timber-framed dwelling and grew over time. Rooms on the left were added in the early to mid 18th century, and the house was later extended to a full two-room depth under a raised, symmetrical gable roof. A rear addition and garage date to about 1970. Today it presents a five-bay clapboard front with a central chimney and an enclosed one-story entrance porch. Inside, the right-hand room and chamber hold the main First Period features: chamfered summer beams with lamb's tongue and tapered stops, flared corner posts, and rafters from an earlier purlin roof visible in the attic. Thick front and end walls may conceal evidence of a former overhang. Later Federal trim appears on the stair and mantelpieces. It was listed for the quality of its early frame and for what that frame may reveal about local joinery practices.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the original First Period frame keeps integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship, and represents a larger group of simple late First Period houses (Criterion C). Evidence of a possible overhanging second story makes it likely to yield information on joinery practices among Wenham craftsmen (Criterion D).
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 90000264, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 26 Maple St., Wenham |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000264 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | First Period (late Second Period vernacular exterior appearance) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; present use is residence, as it was originally. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.60100, -70.91971 (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 90000264.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7558688
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.