Clark-Northrup House
Why it's listed
Set back behind a screen of trees and facing a semi-circular driveway on the south side of Maple Street in Sherborn, this 2½-story frame house dates from roughly 1835 to 1845. It rests on a granite block foundation under a gable roof and is clad in clapboard. Its five-bay facade is centered on an open porch with square Doric posts, a heavy entablature and an overhanging cornice, and the front door has narrow multipane sidelights. Wide Doric corner and fascia boards define its edges. The house combines an older five-bay form with the Greek Revival style, which in Sherborn is usually found on three-bay dwellings. It first appears on a map of about 1855-1860 labeled N. Clark, for Nathaniel Fry Clark, who married in 1844 and may have built it then. Isaiah M. Northrup, a farmer, later bought it. Cranberries were grown in the lowlands behind the house during the 19th century. The property retains much of its rural setting and mid-19th-century landscape elements.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a well-detailed example of Greek Revival style expressed in the five-bay, end-gable, central-entry form that was more common in Sherborn in the 18th century. This is an unusual pairing, since the style is usually found there on three-bay houses. It retains integrity of setting, design, location, materials, workmanship and feeling.
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 86000497, listed January 3, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 93 Maple St., Sherborn |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | January 3, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000497 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; the form lists no major alterations. |
| Acreage | 5.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.23867, -71.38663 (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 86000497.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5127131
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.