Knight, Elisha, Homestead
Why it's listed
Built around 1750 at 170 Franklin Street in Stoneham, this farmhouse began as the homestead of Elisha Wright. It is a two-story, five-bay clapboard house with an asymmetrical facade, a raised granite foundation, a boxed cornice and a pitched roof. A one-story rear ell and a two-story ell extend behind it. Mid-nineteenth century two-over-two sash, kept at the smaller eighteenth century window size, and a bracketed entry hood from about 1870 reflect later remodeling, which probably also removed a center chimney. The property has always been tied to agriculture, passing from the Wright family to the Greens, who held large landholdings along Franklin Street, and then to the Outram family around 1800. The farm includes a large lowland and swampy area shown on early maps. It was recognized as Stoneham's only surviving eighteenth century farm, the last intact example of the town's farming origins, and one of its best preserved houses of the period.
Significance in brief: The form describes it as one of Stoneham's best preserved mid-eighteenth century houses and the only one to keep its original agricultural setting and use. It is called the town's only remaining eighteenth century farm and the sole intact example of its agricultural origins. It is said 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 84002863, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 170 Franklin St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002863 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used for agriculture (dairy farm) when recorded; several 20th century barns are too recent to contribute. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.52042, -71.08816 (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 84002863.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5361830
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.