Woodward Homestead
Why it's listed
This five-bay Federal house at 17 Main Street in Wakefield includes a section built before 1765. It has a gable roof and two interior chimneys, which set it apart from most local contemporaries that kept a single chimney. The northern half is a story and a half on granite block foundations, while the southern half drops to two and a half stories on brick to suit the site. The older northern entry has a molded surround and corner blocks, and the southern entrance is Greek Revival with a pediment, probably added in the 1830s. The Woodward family were early settlers of South Reading, arriving before 1700, and John Woodward occupied the house by 1765. Later owners included the Stimpson family, the Boston trader Silas Penniman, and Lemuel Tileston, who kept a sort of public house there. William Stimpson, a bricklayer, farmed the land. Dormers, south porticos and a west ell were added this century. The house is valued locally for its unusual architecture.
Significance in brief: The form argues the house is locally significant for its architecture (criterion C) because it shows curious variations from a standard Federal house, including two interior chimneys and an older northern entry. It also records the house's ties to the early Woodward settler family and later owners who farmed the land.
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 89000747, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 17 Main St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000747 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good; present use is a dwelling, with a hospital building listed as an outbuilding. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.52419, -71.07904 (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 89000747.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8033570
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.