Ellis, Moses, House
Why it's listed
Set on a slightly elevated, tree-shaded 2.3-acre lot on Pleasant Street, this Italianate house was designed in 1866 by Framingham architect Alexander Rice Esty. It is square in plan, with a projecting central entry pavilion, an arched porte-cochere, a low hipped roof, clapboard siding and boldly scaled window pediments. Inside, the elaborate main stair and Victorian fireplaces survive. It was built for Moses Ellis, a Boston and San Francisco merchant who returned to New England in 1866, bought the 200-acre Buckminster Homestead, and replaced its 1768 house and tavern with this residence. Esty was known mainly for public works and churches, and also designed other Italianate houses in Framingham. After Ellis died in 1910, the house became the Danforth School, a boarding and day school for boys, and later housed landscape companies and a cotton machinery firm. It was listed for its architecture, its integrity and its ties to locally prominent people.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. It is associated with several locally prominent people, including Moses Ellis and architect Alexander Rice Esty. It also embodies the academic Italianate style as applied to a wood-frame residence, meeting criteria B and C.
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 83004022, listed November 29, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 283 Pleasant St., Framingham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | November 29, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004022 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1866-1871 |
| Architect / builder | Alexander Rice Esty |
| Architectural style | Academic Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and occupied, with the interior rehabilitated; the exterior is largely unaltered and the house has had commercial and school uses. |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.30462, -71.44897 (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 83004022.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715726
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.