Gibbs, Paul, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1860 on Edmands Road in rural northwest Framingham, this Italianate farmhouse was probably designed by local architect Alexander Esty. It has a symmetrical south facade with a center entry and two rusticated bays, 6/6 windows with projecting moulded surrounds, and a low hip roof under a wide cornice with small attic windows. A rear ell and two small additions from about 1930 extend the original two-and-a-half-storey block. Esty, born in Framingham in 1826, trained in Boston and designed churches, schools and houses across New England; the attribution rests on similarities to his other Framingham houses, especially the 1865 George Weeks House. The house was probably built for Paul W. Gibbs around the time of his marriage. It is the last of several Gibbs family homesteads along the road, where the family farmed from the 1750s. After 1904 it became a boarding house for farm workers, and farming continued nearby into the 1970s, preserving the setting.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-preserved local example of Italianate architecture that keeps its low hip roof, wide cornice, moulded window surrounds and rusticated bays. It is attributed to Framingham architect Alexander Esty based on similarities to his other houses, notably the George Weeks House of 1865. It also reflects the agricultural development of northwest Framingham by the Gibbs family over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
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 83000804, listed March 10, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1147 Edmands Rd., Framingham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | March 10, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000804 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Alexander Esty (probable) |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and altered; checked as occupied private residence with work in progress; the rural farm setting has been preserved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.33042, -71.48055 (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 83000804.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7150884
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.