Putnam, Gen. Israel, House
Why it's listed
Begun in 1648 and expanded over the following two centuries, this two-story frame house in Danvers, Massachusetts, sits on about 3.75 acres. The original rear section has a gable roof and end chimney. A gambrel-roofed front section with a center chimney was added in 1744, a kitchen wing followed in the early nineteenth century, and the roof of the oldest part was raised in 1831. Highways were deliberately routed so the house could stay on its original site. It was the birthplace and boyhood home of Israel Putnam, who became a Continental Army major general and a folk hero of the Revolutionary War, and it is the only surviving structure linked to his name. Eleven generations of the Putnam family have owned it, preserving furniture and memorabilia. The land supported farming until 1923 and a shoe factory from 1800. A surviving shoe shop building now houses a candy business whose income supports the homestead.
Significance in brief: It is the birthplace and boyhood home of General Israel Putnam, a Continental Army major general, and the only surviving structure associated with his name. It has also stayed in the hands of the Putnam family for eleven successive generations, and its residents have lived partly from the land that came with it.
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 76000235, listed April 30, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 431 Maple St., Danvers |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | April 30, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000235 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence. A candy shop operates in a former shoe shop building on about half of the premises, and the house is described as preserved as a living memorial. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 42.58273, -70.96680 (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 76000235.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5531964
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.