Lothrop, Caleb, House
Why it's listed
Built about 1823 at 14 Summer Street in Cohasset, this two-story house has brick end walls, a clapboard front, a shingled rear and a hip roof, with a five-bay symmetrical facade. A two-story ell was added around 1900. Inside, much original paneling and molding survives, including finely molded mantels in the first-floor front rooms. Caleb Lothrop, grandson of Revolutionary War hero Thomas Lothrop, built the house. He was a ship owner and ship chandler who served as a selectman and town treasurer, and his family owned a wharf at Cohasset Harbor and took part in the mackerel fishing trade. Lothrop descendants lived here until 1966. The house matters architecturally because it is one of only two brick-end Federal period houses left in Cohasset, at a time when brick usually signaled wealth. When nominated, it had stood empty for three years, and the local historical society planned to restore it as a community preservation center.
Significance in brief: The house is one of two brick-end Federal period houses remaining in Cohasset, and brick walls on an early house usually signaled affluence and importance. It is also tied to the Lothrop family and to Caleb Lothrop, a ship owner, ship chandler, selectman and town treasurer involved in the town's mackerel fishing industry.
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 76000269, listed May 3, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 14 Summer St., Cohasset |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | May 3, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000269 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Caleb Lothrop (builder) |
| Architectural style | Federal, with Georgian elements |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant for about three years at the time of nomination and beginning to deteriorate, though the damage was not structural. It had recently been acquired by the Cohasset Historical Society for restoration as a historic resource center. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.23655, -70.79724 (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 76000269.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5019269
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.