Fleming, Thomas, House
Why it's listed
This small Greek Revival house at 18 Maple Street in Sherborn was built around 1850 for Thomas Fleming. It is three bays wide and 1½ stories tall, with a front-facing gable, clapboard walls, a side entry framed by a simple entablature, and windows capped by shallow pediments. West and rear wings were added in the late 19th century. The house sits close to the street a short distance from the town center, with a rubblestone wall along its driveway. Fleming was one of four brothers who ran a willow weaving business as a home industry. They had learned the trade in England and brought a type of willow called osier, which grew best in damp ground. The house was built beside a stream that supplied water to soften the shoots, though the stream has since dried up. Their baskets, from trinket boxes to shipping hampers, were sold mostly locally. The property was listed for its Greek Revival character and its tie to this household manufacturing.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-preserved, simply detailed small-scale example of Greek Revival design. It is also linked to willow weaving, a household industry run in Sherborn by the four Fleming brothers, who had learned the trade in England. It was found to meet Criteria A 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 86000500, listed January 3, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 18 Maple St., Sherborn |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | January 3, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000500 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; the form describes the house as well preserved. A garage stands on the lot. |
| Acreage | 2.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.24127, -71.37423 (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 86000500.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715881
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.