Hoar Tavern
Why it's listed
Hoar Tavern is a farmstead-scale property of about two acres beside the old Cambridge Turnpike, now Route 2, in Lincoln, Massachusetts. It includes a two-and-a-half-story, five-bay clapboard house with a central chimney, an attached ell, a large barn and an outbuilding. Parts of the house and barn date from the early eighteenth century, and the house may be partly as old as the 1680s. Later changes include a Greek Revival remodelling, a mid-nineteenth-century porch and a 1913 renovation. Inside, white oak corner posts and beams and eighteenth-century panelling survive. The property matters for its Revolutionary War connection: John Hoar operated a tavern here that served men returning from the Concord Bridge skirmish on April 19, 1775. The Hoar family, active in town affairs and later turnpike promotion, lived here for almost two hundred years. A toll station of the 1807 turnpike stood near the tavern. Joseph Hoar was the last family member to run it, and his heirs sold the property in 1869.
Significance in brief: The property was a well-known local tavern in Revolutionary times and served men returning from the Concord Bridge skirmish of April 19, 1775. It was the home of the Hoar family, prominent in Lincoln, for almost two hundred years. Its location on the Cambridge and Concord Turnpike, with a toll station nearby, adds a transportation connection, and the house shows layered remodelling and a massive timber barn.
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 73000301, listed July 23, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Lincoln on MA 2, Lincoln |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 23, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000301 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 17th–20th centuries; specific dates 1680-1700, 1775, 1913 |
| Architectural style | New England vernacular with Greek Revival remodelling and neo-colonial 1913 alterations |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition and occupied, though altered; plans called for public acquisition by the town and restoration as a tavern. It was threatened by a proposed widening of Route 2. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 42.43569, -71.27671 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 73000301.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5874522
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.