Titcomb, Benaiah, House
Why it's listed
This five-bay, two-and-a-half story clapboarded house on John Wise Avenue in Essex began life in Newburyport. Benaiah Titcomb, a merchant, military officer, sea captain and ship owner, built it shortly after 1700 at what is now 4 Green Street. When the city planned a police station on the site in 1911, the house was taken down with great care and moved to Ipswich. In 1917 Langdon Warner bought it for a summer residence and hired architect Norman M. Isham to plan its reconstruction, including a large rear dormer. The house has a central chimney and a double-cell plan that grew into a leanto form. Its frame is fully exposed inside, with chamfered posts, summer beams and lamb's tongue stops. The original staircase, with wide winders and short stubby balusters, is considered possibly the finest of the few that survive. Hewn overhangs and traces of a plaster cove cornice add to its importance as an example of First Period construction.
Significance in brief: The house retains a First Period frame with distinctive form and construction. It has an original staircase possibly the finest of a surviving few, evidence of an exterior plaster cove cornice, and a completely exposed interior frame from both building phases. It also has hewn overhangs continued along the sides when the leanto was added, and 1917 work by restoration architect Norman M. Isham.
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 90000208, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 189 John Wise Ave., Essex |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000208 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown (original); 1917 reconstruction and rear dormer designed by Norman M. Isham |
| Architectural style | First Period |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; in use as a residence, with grounds well maintained. |
| Acreage | 8.8 |
| Coordinates | 42.65145, -70.79647 (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 90000208.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4886809
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.