Swetland-Pease House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Set at the base of Spook's Hill on Pease Road in East Longmeadow, this farmhouse dates to about 1793 and is believed to have been built by Benjamin Swetland, a farmer. The two-story timber-frame main house has a central chimney, a red sandstone foundation and a Doric-pilastered entry. One-story and one-and-a-half-story wings were added in the mid or late nineteenth century. Inside, many original features survive, including a kitchen fireplace of locally quarried red sandstone, a detail linked to Connecticut building traditions. The house is valued as one of few eighteenth-century houses left in the town and, with the Elijah Burt House, as its best preserved example of Vernacular Federalist architecture. Later the farm passed to the Pease family; Mervin Henry Pease, born there in 1860, was a teacher, farmer, school committee member and town assessor. Woods and fields still surround the property.
Significance in brief: It is one of a small number of eighteenth-century houses left in East Longmeadow and an excellent example of Vernacular Federalist architecture. It keeps original features such as its entry, surrounds, mouldings, sash and sandstone foundation facings. Its kitchen fireplace of locally quarried red sandstone is an unusual detail, and the setting remains rural.
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 80000505, listed April 9, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SE of East Longmeadow at 191 Pease Rd., East Longmeadow |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | April 9, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000505 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 |
| Architect / builder | Builder/architect unknown; believed built by Benjamin Swetland, a farmer |
| Architectural style | Vernacular/Federalist |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition, altered, on its original site, and occupied as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.04396, -72.49439 (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 80000505.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715874
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.