Carpenter, Ezra, House
Also known as: Witchie House
Why it's listed
Built around 1800 on South Street in Foxborough, this five-bay Federal-period cottage has a center entry, a shallow gable roof, a small central chimney and a southern wing extended around 1830. It stands on its original cut-granite foundation, and its interior keeps Federal cornice moldings, baseboards and mantels. It was built for Ezra Carpenter (1753-1841), a Revolutionary War veteran who served at Valley Forge and crossed the Delaware with Washington. After the war he farmed and traded braided straw, and he is thought to have been the town's first straw merchant. His son Daniels expanded the business into bonnet making, and his grandson Erastus helped build Foxborough's straw industry and planned Foxborough Common. The house is one of the few intact Federal cottages left in town, and its surroundings remain largely undeveloped. The Witchie family ran it as a dairy farm from 1911 until 1977, when it was donated to the town's Historical Commission. It is now vacant.
Significance in brief: The house is one of the few intact Federal-period cottages left in Foxborough, and it keeps its rural setting. It was also the home of Ezra Carpenter, a Revolutionary War veteran and early straw merchant whose family helped make Foxborough a center of straw hat and bonnet manufacture. The form argues it meets Criteria A, B and C at the local level.
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 85000029, listed January 3, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 168 South St., Foxborough |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | January 3, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000029 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and currently vacant, with work in progress; owned by the Foxborough Historical Commission, which plans future restoration. Condition is fair. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.05205, -71.25411 (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.
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 85000029.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5423337
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.