Allen House
Why it's listed
Built around 1854 on a rise overlooking the Merrimack River, this 2½-story brick house at 57 Rolfe Street in Lowell is one of the few Italianate estates in the city that predate the Civil War. Its cross-gable form, corbeled cornices, paneled brick pilasters and quatrefoil gable lights are distinctive, and its corbeled gable aprons are a Romanesque Revival feature found on no other Lowell residence. Later owners added wings, bays and porches in matching style. The house was built for Abiel Rolfe, a railroad agent. It later belonged to Rollin White, a firearms inventor, and then to Charles H. Allen, who served as congressman, Assistant Secretary of the Navy and first civilian governor of Puerto Rico. Nuns bought it in 1945, and the University of Lowell acquired it in 1957 for a dormitory and offices. It has stood vacant since the mid-1970s, and its interior is deteriorating. It is the last survivor of a street of large houses.
Significance in brief: It is one of the few surviving Italianate estates built in Lowell before the Civil War and has an unusual corbeled apron across its gables. It is also associated with three prominent Lowell citizens: Abiel Rolfe, firearms inventor Rollin White, and Charles H. Allen, a congressman and the first civilian governor of Puerto Rico.
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 82001992, listed August 11, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 57 Rolfe St., Lowell |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | August 11, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001992 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown; the form suggests local architect James H. Rand may have been involved |
| Architectural style | Italianate, with Romanesque Revival corbeled gable aprons |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Invention |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant since the mid-1970s; structurally sound and in fair condition, but the interior is deteriorating with broken windows, falling plaster and vandalism. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.64251, -71.33607 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 82001992.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4731690
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.