Old Chelmsford Garrison House Complex
Also known as: Heywood House
Why it's listed
Garrison Road in Chelmsford holds a 1.4-acre complex built around the town's oldest authenticated 17th-century building. The main house dates to about 1691 and was built by Pelatiah Adams on land first held by his father, Lt. Thomas Adams, a Selectman and original petitioner for the Chelmsford land grant. It began as a two-story clapboard house with a central chimney of unmortared stone. Around 1702 a rear lean-to with two borning rooms, two kitchens and a pantry gave it the saltbox profile seen today. Benjamin Heywood of Billerica bought it in 1728, and his descendants kept it until 1922. It is the only one of nineteen garrison houses once standing in Chelmsford to survive. Since 1959 an association has restored it and run it as a museum and educational center. The grounds also include a barn, a craft center converted from a henhouse in 1966, and a portable Hodgson building moved there in 1969.
Significance in brief: The Garrison House is described as the oldest authenticated 17th-century building in Chelmsford and the best example of the saltbox style in the town. It is the only survivor of nineteen garrison houses that once stood there. It is also tied to the Adams family, whose early members first held the land.
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 73000289, listed May 8, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 105 Garrison Rd., Chelmsford |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | May 8, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000289 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 17th and 18th centuries (checked on the form; no specific dates given) |
| Architect / builder | Built by Pelatiah Adams, son of Lt. Thomas Adams |
| Architectural style | Saltbox |
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked good and altered; on its original site. Maintained by a private association as a museum and educational center, with a caretaker's apartment in the former slaughterhouse. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.57851, -71.39168 (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 73000289.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7083645
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.