Low, Thomas, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1700 on Heartbreak Road in Ipswich, this clapboarded house began as a double-cell, one-room-deep structure and is now five bays wide and 2 1/2 stories tall. Later work includes a lean-to added in the late 18th century, Federal-style trim, Victorian details such as a bay window, and an east wing rebuilt in 1981. Much of its earliest framing is hidden behind later finishes, but the attic retains six sets of original principal rafters with collar beams, and a chamfered chimney post survives in a closet. A ten-foot chimney bay, wide summer beam boxes, a steep roof pitch and gable overhangs all point to First Period construction. In the cellar, a broad brick arch set on fieldstone walls forms the chimney foundation, an early example of this technique. A deed of 1708 first mentions the house, when John Low conveyed it to his brother Thorndike. Its framing and likely hidden fabric make it significant for early construction in the Ipswich area.
Significance in brief: The roof framing has distinctive First Period form and construction, which supports eligibility under Criterion C. Evidence such as a very wide chimney bay, wide summer beam boxes and gable-end overhangs suggests the concealed structure is also First Period, so the house is likely to yield information about early construction in the Ipswich area under Criterion D. The brick arch chimney foundation is an early example of its type.
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 90000237, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 36 Heartbreak Rd., Ipswich |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000237 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | First Period core with Federal vernacular exterior finishes |
| 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 residential. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.66373, -70.82806 (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 90000237.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7791942
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.