Whittier, John Greenleaf, Homestead (Haverhill)
Why it's listed
Built in 1688 by Thomas Whittier, this two-story clapboard farmhouse with a gable roof and central brick chimney sits on a farm of nearly fifty acres off Route 110, east of Haverhill. It was the home of five generations of the Whittier family. The poet John Greenleaf Whittier was born in the house on December 17, 1807, and lived there until 1830. The kitchen and its large fireplace figure in his poem "Snow-Bound." A fire in 1902 damaged the roof and upper story, but restoration kept much of the original fabric, and a two-story rear ell was added in 1911. The original barn burned in 1970 and was replaced by a barn of similar age and size moved from another Haverhill site. The brook, mill site and family burial lot also survive. Since 1892 the property has been managed by trustees as a working farm and museum holding family furnishings and memorabilia.
Significance in brief: The house is the birthplace and boyhood home of the poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier, and the setting of his poem "Snow-Bound." It is also described as a remarkably unspoiled northern Essex County farm whose buildings, pastures and woods recall their original appearance.
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 14000759, listed July 30, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 305 Whittier Rd., Haverhill |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | July 30, 1975 |
| Reference number | 14000759 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1600-1699 |
| Architect / builder | Thomas Whittier (builder of the 1688 house) |
| Architectural style | New England Colonial |
| Areas of significance | Literature, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Operated as a museum and working farm by a board of trustees; condition listed as good, on its original site. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 42.80830, -71.03785 (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 14000759.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.