1790 House
Also known as: North Congregational Parish Church
Why it's listed
Standing at 827 Main Street in Woburn, this two-story, hip-roofed Federal mansion was built between 1790 and 1800 on land that once covered 80 acres and now totals three. Joseph Bartlett, one of Woburn's first lawyers, began the frame but never finished it. Col. Loammi Baldwin, a civil engineer behind the Middlesex Canal, bought it and completed it with a second-floor ballroom. He used it as a social hall, hosting a ball in 1800 and a gathering in 1803 marking the canal's opening. The seven-bay house has a two-tiered pedimented porch, imitation ashlar on the facade, clapboards elsewhere, three pedimented doorways, a rear Palladian window and original interior moldings and mantels. Later residents included several ministers, and the novelist Frances Parkinson Keyes visited the Wheeler family here. The North Congregational Church bought the house in 1956 and has used it as a parish house, Bible school and function hall.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is primarily significant for its link to Col. Loammi Baldwin, an early American civil engineer who built the Middlesex Canal, and who used it as a social hall. It is also cited as a handsome Federal mansion with a combination of imitation ashlar and clapboards, three pedimented doorways, a rear Palladian window and elaborate interior woodwork and plaster.
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 74000381, listed October 9, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 827 Main St., Woburn |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | October 9, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74000381 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1790-1800 |
| Architect / builder | Joseph Bartlett (began construction); Col. Loammi Baldwin (completed it) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by North Congregational Church since 1956 and used at various times as a parish house, Bible school and social function hall; condition listed as fair, with a small rear addition. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 42.50305, -71.16060 (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 74000381.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4553354
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.