White, Benjamin, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1790 by Benjamin White, this square, 2½-story clapboard house at 203 Heath Street in Brookline combines Georgian and Federal features, including quoined corners, a hip roof, shed-roofed dormers, a dentilled cornice and pedimented front and side doors. It is one of only three buildings on Heath Street dating from before 1825. The land had belonged to the Corbin family in the late 1600s and later to the White family, whose holdings spread across several nearby streets. After the Civil War the Cabot family bought the property, moved the house back from the street, turned it to face west, removed its chimneys and attached it to a large barn, with a stable and carriage house on part of the lower floor. The barn was demolished in the 1940s and the house was moved onto its site. Interior remodelling removed most original woodwork, but the exterior remains well preserved. The house represents a prosperous farming family of the period.
Significance in brief: It is one of three buildings on Heath Street built before 1825 and a homestead of the Whites, a prosperous family in a period dominated by farming. The form states it meets criteria A, B and C. The exterior is described as generally well preserved, and its modillioned pedimented entrance echoes the one at 30 Heath Street.
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 85003242, listed October 17, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 203 Heath St., Brookline |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | October 17, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003242 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Benjamin White (original owner and builder); architect information not available |
| Architectural style | Georgian-Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the house was altered and moved in 1868 and again in the 1940s, and the interior was remodelled in 1947. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.32244, -71.14907 (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 85003242.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715401
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.