Brown-Maynard House
Why it's listed
Built around 1852-1853 on Tenth Street in Lowell's Centralville neighborhood, this two-story Italianate house has a square plan, clapboard walls, a shallow hip roof topped by a bracketed belvedere, and a Doric-columned verandah wrapping the south and west sides. Inside, a freestanding curved mahogany stair, a cast-iron fireplace and a gilt ceiling cornice survive largely unaltered. Most Italianate houses in Centralville were modest side-hall buildings, so this larger, more elaborate design stands out. It was probably built by Samuel Brown, superintendent at the Boott Mills, and later belonged to Caleb Maynard, who ran a fancy dry goods store on Merrimack Street. Both men prospered from the city's mid-19th-century growth, and the house reflects the standing that such positions could bring. It stayed in Maynard's family for over eighty years. The property also holds potential archaeological remains, such as privies, wells and the foundations of vanished buildings.
Significance in brief: The house is an exceptionally well-preserved and unusually grand example of Italianate architecture, with a square plan, Doric-columned verandah, paired brackets and a belvedere. It is also tied to Lowell's industrial and commercial growth through its owners, Samuel Brown, a Boott Mills superintendent, and Caleb Maynard, a dry goods merchant. It meets criteria A and C at the local level.
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 86001460, listed July 2, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 84 Tenth St., Lowell |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 2, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001460 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1852-1853 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (probably built by Samuel Brown) |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in excellent condition, unaltered, on its original site, and occupied as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.65443, -71.29894 (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 86001460.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4975979
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.