Whittemore's Tavern
Also known as: Bourne House
Why it's listed
Built around 1724, this vernacular Georgian farmhouse at 473 Auburn Street in Auburndale is one of very few 18th century buildings left in the village. It was probably constructed by William Robinson II, son of one of the area's original settlers. The clapboard house is two and a half stories, rectangular in plan, faces south to catch winter sun, and has a two-room, central hall layout with two wings on the north side and a pair of interior chimneys. The uneven window placement on the front suggests it began as a half-house and was later enlarged. A tavern operated from the house in the 1760s, and Auburn Street was laid out in 1729. In the 19th century the Bourne family owned it; farmer William Bourne and his brother Benjamin laid out nearby streets and sold house lots as Auburndale suburbanized. A porch was added to the west side in the 20th century, and the house is recorded as in fair condition and vacant.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it meets Criterion A as a structure built by one of the area's first settlers, which briefly operated as a tavern in the 1760s. It also meets Criterion C as one of Auburndale's very few surviving 18th century structures with characteristic pre-Revolutionary farmhouse features.
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 86001896, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 473 Auburn St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001896 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Probably built by William Robinson II; architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a dwelling in fair condition, with a 20th century porch added to the west elevation; the form notes the present use as dwelling (vacant). |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.34548, -71.25280 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 86001896.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7996834
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.