Pest House
Also known as: Potter,Ephraim,House
Why it's listed
Known as the Pest House, this eighteenth-century farmhouse at 153 Fairhaven Road in Concord sits on a triangular lot where Fairhaven Road meets Route 2, screened from traffic by a tall hedge. It is a two-and-a-half-story wood frame house on a low fieldstone foundation, with a symmetrical five-bay facade, six-over-six windows, a central door with sidelights and a simple entablature, and clapboard siding. A rear dormer and a modern one-story addition were added later. The house matters for its part in a 1792 smallpox outbreak. Then called the Ephraim Potter House, it became the town hospital after Sarah Potter fell ill, and patients were treated there by Concord's three doctors. Ten people died, two from inoculation and eight from the disease itself. They were buried in a small cemetery set aside across Route 2 for the outbreak's victims. The house remains a well-preserved reminder of that period in the town's medical history.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its role in Concord's medical history. In 1792 it served as the local hospital during a smallpox outbreak, with those stricken treated there by the town's three doctors. A small cemetery across Route 2 holds the ten people who died in that outbreak.
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 77000174, listed April 18, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 153 Fairhaven Rd., Concord |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 18, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000174 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 |
| Architectural style | Colonial elements (simple eighteenth-century farmhouse) |
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in excellent condition and unaltered at the time of nomination, in use as a private residence; a modern one-story rear addition and a large rear dormer are noted. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.44751, -71.36017 (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 77000174.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7171452
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.