Bradford, Capt. Gamaliel, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1807 on the main road between Plymouth and Boston, this Duxbury house was home to Gamaliel Bradford, a member of the prominent Bradford family. Square in plan with a two-story rear ell, it has a truncated hip roof with a monitor, brick side elevations and clapboarded front and rear. A Doric porch shelters the center entry, which has sidelights and a fan. Inside, a central hall, eleven-foot first-floor ceilings and most of the original paneling remain. Bradford served as a young lieutenant in the Continental Army, then commanded ships, declining command of the frigate Boston in 1797 and losing a leg to French privateers in 1800 while commanding the Industry. He retired from the sea around 1802. The house later served as a boarding house and private school, and was owned by a Unitarian minister's family and then the artist Charles Bittinger. A small barn and an 1840 cottage built from salvaged church materials stand across the dooryard.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites the house for its graceful yet substantial Federal architecture and for its original owner, Gamaliel Bradford (1764-1824). Bradford was a Continental Army lieutenant, a sea captain who lost a leg in an encounter with French privateers in 1800, and later a trustee of the Massachusetts Historical Society.
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 78001402, listed February 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Duxbury at 942 Tremont St., Duxbury |
|---|---|
| County | Plymouth County |
| Listed | February 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001402 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1807 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Privately owned and occupied as a private residence; the form marks the condition as altered. |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.03853, -70.68896 (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 78001402.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5036423
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.