Osgood, Col. John, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1720, the Col. John Osgood House at 547 Osgood Street in North Andover is a 2 1/2 story, five-bay clapboard house with a central chimney and an integral rear lean-to. It is made of two one-cell sections joined together, and only the right-hand section still shows late First Period details, such as an exposed quirk-beaded summer beam, chamfered plates and lamb's tongue stops. The two sections are tied together in the attic by two short double-dovetailed binding timbers, a very unusual method of joining houses in Massachusetts Bay. Early in the 20th century the house was turned from south to west to face a re-aligned road, and the chimney stack was probably rebuilt then. Because it was only rotated about 90 degrees on its original site, it keeps its sense of location. Its surviving design, materials and workmanship, together with the unusual framing, are the reasons it was listed. A late 19th century barn stands nearby on the horse farm.
Significance in brief: The house keeps its design, materials and workmanship from the late First Period and transitional frame, qualifying under Criterion C. Two sections are joined at attic level by double-dovetailed binding timbers, a very unusual way to connect two frame houses in Massachusetts. Although it was turned 90 degrees in the early 20th century, it remains largely on its original site.
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 90000250, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 547 Osgood St., North Andover |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000250 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Transitional First Period |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; in present use as a residence (rental). |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.70091, -71.11130 (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 90000250.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5141773
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.