Ware's Tavern
Why it's listed
Ware's Tavern, at 113 South Main Street in Sherborn, began as a house built about 1780 by Benjamin Ware for himself and his wife, Mehitable Leland. Their son Eleazer ran a tavern there by the early 19th century, and the second floor held a ballroom. By the 1830s it was one of at least three lodging places in town, also called a halfway house, on a road that was a main thoroughfare. In 1830 the ballroom served as the town's place of assembly while the first Meeting House was being built. The building is two stories and five bays wide, with a central entrance, a large brick chimney and a granite block foundation. It roughly doubled in size about 1840 with a northern section on a brick basement, and it shows both Federal and Greek Revival detailing. An early twentieth-century Colonial Revival entryway was added later. It is now a residence and was listed for its architecture and its link to Sherborn's growth.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building retains integrity and is a well-preserved example of the transition from Federal to Greek Revival styling. It is also tied to Sherborn's early-to-mid 19th century growth as a community of household manufactories and light industry, increasingly linked to the outside world.
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 86000512, listed January 3, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 113 S. Main St., Sherborn |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | January 3, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000512 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Benjamin Ware (built oldest portion, ca. 1780) |
| Architectural style | Federal/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is as a residence; the grounds are described as well maintained. |
| Acreage | 2.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.22749, -71.36552 (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 86000512.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7969232
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.