Noyes, James, House
Why it's listed
Seventeenth-century carpentry survives inside this clapboarded house at 7 Parker Road in Newbury. The central-chimney, five-bay building began as a single-room-deep structure of undetermined date, probably between about 1650 and 1699. Its oak roof uses a principal-rafter and purlin system with three purlins and a ridge purlin trenched into the rafters, and the chamfered members relate directly to the roof of the Coffin House of about 1654. In a second-floor chamber, an exposed oak tie beam carries a quarter-round chamfer with fillet ending in a lamb's tongue stop, which is unique among the First Period houses surveyed. A two-story ell was added about 1800, with later additions and dormers following, and the main rooms were remodeled with Federal trim. The house was recognized for its architectural qualities and for the structural evidence concealed behind later alterations.
Significance in brief: The house keeps a decorated First Period frame and an extremely early type of roof framing, with small chamfers on the members like those of the nearby Coffin House (c.1654). Its exposed tie beam has a filled chamfer and stop that is unique within the thematic survey. Later alterations conceal structural evidence that might date the house more closely, which adds research value.
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 90000246, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 7 Parker Rd., Newbury |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000246 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1650 (?) - 1699 |
| Architectural style | First Period |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded in good condition, in use as a residence, and not moved. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 42.79754, -70.86232 (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 90000246.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6140432
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.