Sawyer House
Why it's listed
Set in a rural area beside the Route 95 interchange in Boxford, this house at 21 Endicott Road dates to the first quarter of the 18th century. It may have begun as a single-cell dwelling and grown into a five-bay, two-story, central-chimney house with a lobby entrance. The right-hand rooms hold the clearest early framing, including a long summer beam with lamb's tongue stops and a carved, molded post head. Boxed beams in the left-hand rooms suggest similar proportions, so those rooms may be original or added during the First Period. Later changes include a portico of seven square posts added in the 1860s, Victorian bay windows, and several 19th and 20th century ells and porches. The land was once part of the Governor Endicott grant. The Kilham family owned the farm until 1802, when Dr. George Sawyer bought it, and it stayed in the Sawyer family until 1940. It was listed for its architecture and its potential to show how First Period houses were built.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house retains integrity of location, setting, workmanship and association. Its form and construction embody distinctive First Period characteristics (Criterion C). Its boxed framing elements, possibly from a later addition, are likely to yield more information on First Period construction (Criterion D).
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 90000194, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 21 Endicott Rd., Boxford |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000194 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | First Period / Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded in good condition and in use as a residence. |
| Acreage | 2.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.62803, -70.97689 (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 90000194.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7428737
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.