Lewis, Joshua, House
Why it's listed
This Georgian farmhouse at 178 South Street in Needham sits on about one and a half acres above the Charles River. Joshua Lewis built it around 1776 on land his wife, Mary Lyon, inherited from her father. The wood-frame house has 2½ stories, a gable roof, a five-bay facade and a central chimney, with a simple molded entrance and six-over-six sash. Later wings were added, but the main block remains essentially as built. The house is noted mainly for its occupants. Woodcarver David Livingston owned it in 1858. Swiss horticulturist Denys Zirngiebel, who founded the Greendale Greenhouses here in 1865, later lived in it, and the poet Longfellow was a frequent visitor. In 1921 Zirngiebel's grandson, the artist N.C. Wyeth, bought it and built a studio nearby. The house appears in several of his paintings. The nomination also notes possible prehistoric and historic archaeological remains on the property.
Significance in brief: The form says the house is an interesting architectural piece, but its main significance comes from the people who lived in it. These include prominent eighteenth-century landowners, a noted woodcarver, the horticulturist Denys Zirngiebel (a friend of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), and the artist N.C. Wyeth. It is nominated under Criterion B.
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 82002749, listed April 1, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 178 South St., Needham |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | April 1, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002749 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 |
| Architect / builder | Joshua Lewis |
| Architectural style | Georgian (vernacular farmhouse) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Literature, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; in excellent condition and generally in good repair after restoration by the present owner. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.26438, -71.20929 (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 82002749.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6290020
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.