Butters-Avery House
Also known as: William Butters II House
Why it's listed
Built around 1720, this saltbox-type house at 165 Chestnut Street in Wilmington, Massachusetts, sits on what remains of a 100-acre homestead granted to William Butters I around 1665. Later suburban house lots surround it, but the building retains an early 18th-century timber frame concealed beneath later finishes. Studies found a jettied second story, beams with beaded corners, and a one-room-plan-with-lean-to arrangement common in the 17th and early 18th centuries. In the mid 19th century, while owned by Alexander P. and Julia Avery, the front wall was pushed out flush with the upper story, the chimney was moved to the center, and the interior was replastered and reorganized. A 19th-century service ell, probably an older outbuilding moved to the site, was attached to the west side. The Town of Wilmington acquired the property in 2006. The house is valued both for its surviving early frame and for its mid 19th-century alterations.
Significance in brief: The house retains an essentially intact early 18th-century timber frame, including a jettied second story and beaded summer beam, hidden within later finishes. It also preserves mid 19th-century alterations made under Alexander P. and Julia Avery, who owned the farm from 1846 to 1898. The nomination links it to the Butters family homestead and to the early history of the Baldwin apple in the area.
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 10000413, listed July 6, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 165 Chestnut St, Wilmington |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000413 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Postmedieval English; Mid 19th Century, Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single-family dwelling; the Town of Wilmington acquired it as a historic property in 2006. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.53273, -71.17661 (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 10000413.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15713024
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.