Hildreth-Robbins House
Also known as: Redwing Farm; Chambrlain-Byam House
Why it's listed
Set on a winding rural road in south Chelmsford, this farmhouse is a 2 1/2-story, side-gabled Georgian dwelling with a post-and-beam frame, fieldstone and granite foundation, and a large brick chimney. Architectural evidence places its construction in the 1730s or early 1740s, and a 1742 deed mentions a dwelling house on the Hildreth homestead. The building grew in stages, gaining a widened plan, a rear leanto later raised to two full stories, and a 19th-century kitchen ell, line of sheds and attached carriagehouse or barn. Inside, raised-field paneling, feather-edge boarding, cased timbers and wide pine floors survive. The grounds retain stone walls, a granite hitching post, a retaining wall and an oval pond from its working-farm and summer-residence eras. The farm was held for more than 200 years by descendants of early Chelmsford families, and its residents helped found the South Chelmsford Baptist Society in 1771. The house is currently vacant.
Significance in brief: The form presents the house as a well-preserved farmhouse of one of the principal farms in south Chelmsford, owned for more than 200 years by descendants of at least half a dozen of the town's earliest families. Its timber frame, interior woodwork and evolution over time illustrate colonial and later farmhouse development. Its occupants were also leaders in founding the South Chelmsford Baptist Society and in shaping South Chelmsford as an agricultural village.
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 06001090, listed November 29, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 19 Maple Rd., Chelmsford |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | November 29, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06001090 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial: Georgian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant/not in use. The property was recently partitioned to 1.32 acres, with the nominated resources including the house, barn and several landscape features. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.57156, -71.37971 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 06001090.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5761729
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.