Worcester House
Why it's listed
Set well back from Andover Street in Lowell, this farmhouse and its large timber barn date from the early 19th century. The house was built in 1802 in the Federal style, reportedly by Eldad Worcester, and received Greek Revival trim, porch and interior details around 1840. It is a 2½-story clapboard building with a granite foundation, an original rear ell and two later additions. The barn, measuring 73 by 30 feet, has exposed pegged and braced framing that appears contemporary with the house. The land came from a 1641 grant to the widow of Governor Winthrop, and the Worcester family owned it from 1748 until 1954. It is the oldest house on Andover Street and one of the earliest in Lowell. The barn is considered unique in the city for its age, size and integrity. Together the buildings and surviving grounds preserve one of the few undisturbed 19th-century rural landscapes left in Lowell, and the land may hold archaeological evidence of past use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is a little-altered vernacular farmhouse with an early barn and remnants of its rural setting, both rare in Lowell. It is tied to Lowell's early agricultural tradition and to a Tewksbury family that held the land for over two hundred years. The land may also hold archaeological remains.
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 83004091, listed December 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 658 Andover St., Lowell |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | December 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004091 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1802 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (house said to have been erected in 1802 by Eldad Worcester, per local records of the 1890s) |
| Architectural style | Federal with Greek Revival modifications (c. 1840) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence; the form lists the property as occupied and in private residential use. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Within district | Andover Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.64518, -71.27994 (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 83004091.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8034189
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.