Sweetser, Michael, House
Why it's listed
This five-bay, 2½-story clapboard house at 15 Nahant Street in Wakefield is a local example of Georgian vernacular design. Michael Sweetser, the first of a respected family of Sweetsers, built it about 1755 on land that had been part of the original Smith farm. It has a gable roof with a boxed cornice, wide cornerboards, paired end windows and a central chimney, all typical of local building patterns. The door surround, with paneled pilasters, a simple entablature and long sidelights, was probably added during the Greek Revival period, about 1830-1850. A two-story Beverly jog addition, uncommon in Wakefield, was added later. The house was moved a short distance from its original site, around 1930, and remains a dwelling. A later descendant, Paul Hart Sweetser, trained as a shoemaker, became a Boston teacher, helped found the Massachusetts Teacher Association and served on the Wakefield School Board. The property was listed for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an excellent, well-preserved example of local Georgian vernacular house design. It is also tied to the Sweetser family, including Paul Hart Sweetser, a 19th-century teacher, school board member and town figure. The Keeper's amendment lists it under criterion C only, as a Georgian vernacular house.
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 89000699, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 15 Nahant St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000699 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Michael Sweetser (builder, about 1755) |
| Architectural style | Georgian/Greek Revival (Georgian Vernacular) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a dwelling; it was moved about 1930 from its original site at Main and Nahant Streets. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.49745, -71.06890 (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 89000699.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6834724
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.