Goodwin, Captain-James Custis House
Why it's listed
This L-shaped farmhouse at 1 Elm Street in Wakefield faces east on a sloping lot at the foot of Cowdry Hill. It appears to have been built in two stages, with dates given as pre-1770 and c. 1830. The Greek Revival section presents its gable end to the street, with full eave returns forming a pediment whose tympanum is flushboarded to resemble stone. A wide watertable, high granite foundations and moderately wide cornerboards mark the style. The wing has flushboarding on the first floor, clapboards above, and a well-developed Greek Revival doorway with sidelights. Which section is older remains uncertain without interior analysis. The house is linked to James Eustis, who settled in South Reading in 1827, sold dry goods from the ell, and later farmed. He helped found an agricultural library and a horticultural society, served as selectman, and worked as an insurance agent and auctioneer. His heirs divided the farmland for development in the 1880s.
Significance in brief: The form calls it a well-preserved Greek Revival farmhouse that retains integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. It is also tied to James Eustis, a prominent mid-19th-century Wakefield resident and town figure. The form claims local-level significance under 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 89000744, listed March 2, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1 Elm St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | March 2, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89000744 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival and perhaps Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good; the building is in use as a dwelling, as it was originally. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.50597, -71.08062 (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 89000744.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5036660
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.