Varnum Building
Also known as: United Building
Why it's listed
Standing at the corner of Bridge and Third Streets, this four-story wood-frame building was completed in 1882 by brothers Daniel and Leavitt R.J. Varnum, who bought the lot at auction after the death of an earlier resident. It holds two ground-floor stores and twelve apartments above. A clipped corner bay topped by a square tower with a steep slate roof makes it a landmark near the Central Bridge. Slate-clad hoods, iron cresting, turned brackets and paneled pilasters show its Queen Anne character. The Varnums ran their real estate office here and helped develop much of Centralville, the largely residential area across the Merrimack River from the textile mills. Grocers and later a drugstore occupied the corner shop, and the building was sold out of Varnum hands in 1923. It was rehabilitated in 1985-86 and renamed the United Building. It is listed for its architecture and its role in the neighborhood's commercial and real estate growth.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant under Criterion A for its link to major real estate development in Centralville by the Varnum brothers. It is significant under Criterion C as a well-preserved Queen Anne commercial building with tenements above, rich in detail such as slate hoods, iron cresting, turned brackets and a corner tower. It is considered probably the oldest intact commercial storefront in this part of Lowell.
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 88002752, listed December 19, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 401--405 Bridge St., Lowell |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | December 19, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002752 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1882-1923 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built by Daniel and Leavitt R.J. Varnum) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated in 1985-86 to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and renamed the United Building; currently used as multiple dwellings with ground-floor commercial space, including a grocery. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.65038, -71.30331 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 88002752.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7916061
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.