Old Town Farm
Why it's listed
Located at 430 Pelham Street in the rural northwest corner of Methuen, this red brick building was constructed in about 1845-1846 to serve as the town poor farm. It replaced Methuen's first poor farm, which was lost when Lawrence was incorporated in 1845 from land that had belonged to Methuen. The building was meant to house the town's indigent, among other functions. It rests on a stone foundation and has a five-bay facade with a recessed central entry, a semi-elliptical fanlight and sidelights. Windows have granite lintels and sills with 6/6 sash. Broad end walls finish in parapets with double chimneys, a treatment not found elsewhere in Methuen. Town records do not name the architect. The property keeps its integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship, and no major alterations are recorded. It is valued as an early and unusual town building linked to Methuen's mid-19th-century growth, and it is now a private home.
Significance in brief: It was Methuen's second town poor farm, built after the creation of Lawrence in 1845 took the original poor farm from Methuen. It is considered an early and unusual town-built structure with an end-wall treatment not seen elsewhere in Methuen. It retains integrity and is tied to the town's mid-19th-century development.
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 84002413, listed January 20, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 430 Pelham St., Methuen |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | January 20, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002413 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently a private residence; no major alterations recorded. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.73823, -71.24194 (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 84002413.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7085280
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.