Morse, Amos, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1804 by mill owner Amos Morse at 77 North Street in North Foxboro, this large Federal-style house was designed as a two-family residence for his children's households. It has a two-story hipped-roof main block with a five-bay symmetrical facade and a pedimented central entrance, flanked by two 1 1/2-story gabled wings added around 1820. Inside is a center-hall, double-pile plan with original mantels, fireplaces and wide board floors. The house is considered unusually intact and rare in Foxboro and Massachusetts for its scale and its linear wings. It is also linked to the Morse family's forge, mills and hoe factory nearby, and to the town's growth into a major straw-hat manufacturing center. In 1820 a tenant opened a small straw shop in the southwestern wing. The property also has potential for historic archaeological discoveries about the family and the town's development. It remained in Morse family hands until 1983.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an imposing, essentially intact Federal-period dwelling, rare in Foxboro and Massachusetts for its size and its two linear wings. It is also tied to the Morse family's mill and forge operations and to Foxboro's shift from farming to straw-goods manufacture. It is also noted to have high archaeological potential.
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 86000027, listed January 9, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 77 North St., Foxboro |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | January 9, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000027 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Federal (vernacular) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rated excellent condition and occupied as a private single-family residence; the barn was recently restored. |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.08467, -71.25769 (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 86000027.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4747921
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.