Ross Farm
Also known as: Hill--Ross Farmstead
Why it's listed
Ross Farm occupies 2.25 acres on the north side of Meadow Street in Florence, a section of Northampton, Massachusetts, with the Mill River forming its eastern edge. The core is a two-story, center-chimney, side-passage farmhouse built about 1825 by Theodore Burt, with a hewn oak frame and late Federal interior woodwork. Later owners added a rear extension and other alterations, and a mid-1900s restoration changed the siding, porch and windows. A hay barn with cow shed and a tobacco barn, both from about 1880, also stand on the property. The farm became the core of a nearly 300-acre tract assembled in 1841 by the Northampton Association for Education and Industry, a communal society that ran a silk-making enterprise. Samuel L. Hill, a founder of the association, lived in the house and later aided fugitives from slavery. Austin Ross then operated the farm as a dairy and tobacco farm. The house is the only surviving landmark of the communal era and the Underground Railroad period here.
Significance in brief: The farm is tied to the Underground Railroad in Massachusetts through Samuel L. Hill, a founder of the Northampton Association for Education and Industry who lived here from 1841 to 1845, and Austin Ross, who later owned and farmed it. The house is the only surviving landmark of both the communitarian era and the Underground Railroad period on the site. It is nominated under the Underground Railroad in Massachusetts multiple property listing.
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 07001360, listed January 8, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 123 Meadow St., Northampton |
|---|---|
| County | Hampshire County |
| Listed | January 8, 2008 |
| Reference number | 07001360 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Theodore Burt (farmhouse, ca. 1825) |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History, Black, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Has had a residential function since the house and farm buildings were separated from the farmland in 1972; current functions listed as multiple dwelling, storage and animal facility. |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.33397, -72.67977 (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 07001360.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7369319
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.