Putnam, Rev. Daniel, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1720 at 27 Bow Street in North Reading, this clapboard house was raised by the town's North Parish as part of the settlement agreement for its first settled minister, Rev. Daniel Putnam. Putnam served the old Reading parish for 39 years, and his descendants occupied the house until 1962. The core is a plank-frame structure, enlarged to its present five-bay, 2 1/2 story form in the late 18th or early 19th century, with a rear shed added about 1820. Its interior mixes First and Second Period finish. The second-floor southeast chamber keeps complete First Period work, including original whitewash and plaster. Parish records of 1718 and 1719 give the intended dimensions and the permission to alter the plan, offering unusual insight into how a proposal became a building. The plank walls may reflect nearby sawn lumber, since a sawmill operated in North Reading by 1701. The chimney was restored in 1972, and the house now serves as a museum.
Significance in brief: The house keeps its late First Period plank frame and interior finish, including one fully intact room with original plaster and whitewash, which is eligible under Criterion C. Its plank-wall construction is an unusual Massachusetts Bay framing alternative. The surviving parish specifications for the house, and later changes to them, show what was considered a suitable minister's dwelling. Concealed framing may yield further information under Criterion D.
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 90000176, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 27 Bow St., North Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000176 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by the North Parish of Reading; no architect |
| Architectural style | First Period (transitional) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a museum; condition described as excellent. |
| Coordinates | 42.57429, -71.07729 (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 90000176.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7317672
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.