Parker, James, House
Why it's listed
Valley Farm in Shirley, Massachusetts, centers on a farmhouse that grew in two stages. William Farwell, a member of the first generation to settle west of the Nashua River, is credited with the oldest part, a one-story hall-and-parlor cottage with a garret, built after 1715. James Parker bought the property in 1766 and rented it to tenants. In 1797 he raised a much larger two-story, center-chimney house that straddles and nearly surrounds the old cottage, turned about 20 degrees toward a new road. The angled facade, overhanging roof and paired first-floor windows make it a distinctive example of vernacular building. Three generations of Parkers farmed here, adding a cider press, barns and a hop kiln, until the farm declined and the last heir died in 1921. The listing covers the ten acres of fields around the house, and cites its agricultural history and its architecture as the reasons for recognition.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its unusual merging of an early-18th-century one-story settler's cottage with a large late-18th-century center-chimney house built around it at a changed angle. It also reflects the evolution of a farmstead from settlement-era homestead to tenant-rented property to prosperous early-19th-century farm. The form argues it meets criteria A and C at the local level.
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 88000163, listed February 25, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | R.R. 1, Box 30 Center Rd., Shirley |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | February 25, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000163 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1715-1921 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (oldest portion attributed to William Farwell; 1797 addition built for James Parker) |
| Architectural style | New England Colonial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single-family dwelling; the form says it has been sensitively repaired and retains significant exterior and interior finish. |
| Acreage | 10 |
| Coordinates | 42.56044, -71.65826 (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 88000163.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6140934
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.