Bacon-Gleason-Blodgett Homestead
Also known as: Old Mill House
Why it's listed
Built around 1740, this two-story house at 118 Wilson Road in eastern Bedford, Massachusetts, is known as the Bacon-Gleason-Blodgett Homestead or Old Mill House. It combines brick end walls with clapboarded north and south sides, a five-bay facade, four tall end chimneys and a fieldstone foundation with granite facing. A one-and-a-half-story wing on the west end now serves as a kitchen and laundry. Inside are a spiral staircase, brick fireplaces and pine wainscotting. The house is described as the only example of its period and type in Bedford. Nathaniel Bacon built it, and later owners included Thomas Bacon, the Minuteman and miller Jonas Gleason, and the miller Simeon Blodgett. Nearby, John Wilson set up a corn mill in 1680, and a small community grew around the mill pond. This house and one other are the only remaining structures of that settlement. Later residents included Hugh Hunt, Bedford's first World War I casualty.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an unaltered example of early to mid-18th century brick-end transitional Georgian architecture and the only house of that period and type in Bedford. It is also one of two surviving structures from the small mill community that grew up around John Wilson's 1680 corn mill. Its owners, among them an Indian fighter, a militiaman, a Minuteman and millers, contributed to the town's early development.
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 77000166, listed April 14, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 118 Wilson Rd., Bedford |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 14, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000166 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Early New England transitional Georgian (brick-end) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Military, Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and used as a private residence; the two brick ends are described as in excellent condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Wilson Mill-Old Burlington Road District |
| Coordinates | 42.50040, -71.24704 (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 77000166.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4839915
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.