Nevins, Henry C., Home for Aged and Incurables
Why it's listed
Set on a wooded site along the Spicket River at 110 Broadway, this three-story complex of attached brick buildings was completed in 1906 as a home for the aged. It was commissioned by Henry C. Nevins, son of mill owner and philanthropist David Nevins, and is attributed to architect Henry Vaughn. The main building is brick with granite trim and is designed in the Jacobethan style. Notable features include prominent parapets on the pitched roof trimmed with terra cotta crockets, multi-paned granite-trimmed windows, large chimney masses in the end walls, and a crenellated rear tower partly visible from the front. Nevins's widow donated the privately owned building for use as a home for the aged, a purpose it still serves. It is regarded as one of the last elaborate projects endowed by the Nevins, Searles or Tenney families, alongside the Nevins Library, Serlo Organ Hall and Searles High School. The form reports no major alterations.
Significance in brief: The nomination holds that it is one of several public buildings donated to or built in Methuen by the Nevins family. It is also one of the last elaborate projects endowed by the Nevins, Searles or Tenney families. It is an example of the Jacobethan style and is said to retain integrity of location, design, setting, materials 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 84002406, listed January 20, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 110 Broadway, Methuen |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | January 20, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002406 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Henry Vaughn (attributed); form also lists architect as unknown |
| Architectural style | Jacobethan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a home for the aged; no major alterations reported. |
| Acreage | 2.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.72128, -71.18234 (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 84002406.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5719052
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.