Livermore, William, House
Why it's listed
Located at 271 Essex Street in Beverly, this two-and-a-half story, five-bay, clapboarded house with a central chimney began as a single-cell First Period dwelling to the right of the chimney. Features of the right front rooms suggest construction around 1700, though deed research pointed to 1671, and the date remains to be confirmed. A matching cell was added to the left of the chimney around 1725-30, and rear rooms and a new roof later doubled the house, leaving the chimney stack protruding through the front roof slope. Inside, the original room has an exposed, chamfered pine frame, a transverse summer beam with lamb's tongue stops, and a wide fireplace. Vertical exterior sheathing and an unusual horizontal board may point to plank-frame construction. The house is associated with Livermore Whittredge Sr. and Jr., members of the Committee of Correspondence and privateers during the Revolution. It was listed for its early framing and its illustration of how First Period houses grew.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house retains integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship in its original First Period single-cell frame (Criterion C). Its unusual transverse summer beam merits further study (Criterion D). Its growth into a full double-pile house in the Second Period is typical of early houses that were enlarged rather than rebuilt.
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 90000197, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 271 Essex St., Beverly |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000197 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | First Period |
| 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. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.56676, -70.86079 (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 90000197.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14716041
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.