Dewey, Joseph, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1735 on South Maple Street in Westfield, this 2½-story wood-frame house was home to members of the Dewey family, who worked as farmers and millers beside the Little River. It has a side-gable form, a three-bay facade, clapboard siding and simple Georgian details, including a denticulated cornice, pediments over the central door and first-floor windows, and pilasters with rosettes. The house began as a four-room plan and soon gained a rear kitchen, giving it a saltbox profile. Around 1800 it was remodeled in the Federal style, and about the 1930s it became a two-family home. Its earliest walls use an uncommon plank-wall construction. In 1972 the Western Hampden Historical Society acquired the building, and after it was moved in 1973 to avoid demolition, the society restored it to its 18th-century appearance, recovering paneling, fireplaces, a buttery and original paint colors. It now serves as a museum among later apartment and commercial buildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as a well-preserved example of a moderately prosperous farmer and miller's home from early eighteenth-century Westfield. It retains rare plank-wall construction and was carefully restored in the 1970s to its original Georgian appearance. It also reflects the Dewey family's milling and farming role on South Maple Street.
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 01000746, listed July 27, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 87 S. Maple St., Westfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | July 27, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000746 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in the 1970s to its 18th-century appearance; now used as a museum, with no outbuildings. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.11184, -72.76312 (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 01000746.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6282622
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.