Griswold, Maj. Joseph, House
Why it's listed
Perched on a hill on the west side of Upper Street in Buckland, this brick house was built in 1818 for Major Joseph Griswold. Its design follows patterns published by Asher Benjamin, producing a simple rectangular Federal style block with a five-bay front laid in Flemish bond, marble lintels, a fanlight doorway and a delicate boxed cornice. A one and one half story wooden ell, where Griswold sold cheese, rum, apples and furniture he made, adjoins the northwest corner. The bricks were made from clay dug in an adjacent field. Griswold built a third floor ballroom that served as a community assembly hall. In 1824 he offered it to Mary Lyon, who was trying to found a school for girls with a curriculum equal to that of boys' schools. She taught there until 1829, and in 1837 she opened Mount Holyoke Seminary, later Mount Holyoke College. The house is valued both as architecture and for this link to women's education.
Significance in brief: The house is a fine example of Federal style architecture in rural Massachusetts and one of the earliest brick houses in the Buckland area. Its primary significance is its association with Mary Lyon, who held her school for girls in the third floor ballroom from 1824 to 1829, before she opened Mount Holyoke Seminary.
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 72000130, listed February 23, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Upper St., Buckland |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | February 23, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000130 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1818 (19th Century) |
| Architect / builder | Major Joseph Griswold (builder/owner); designs after the pattern books of Asher Benjamin |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Private residence in good condition, occupied; listed as altered and on its original site. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.59008, -72.79121 (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 72000130.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6737289
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.