Marshfield Hills Historic District
Why it's listed
Marshfield Hills is a village in the northwestern part of Marshfield, Massachusetts, and its historic district covers 86 properties holding 122 contributing resources built between 1729 and 1959. The oldest is a cemetery established in 1729. Most buildings are wood-frame houses on lots of about one acre, and one quarter of the houses follow the traditional Cape form. The district also includes two churches, a library, a former schoolhouse later used as a firehouse, and a former GAR Hall. Styles range from Federal and Greek Revival, the most common 19th-century choice, to Italianate, Queen Anne, Gothic Revival and Colonial Revival. The district was drawn around the most intact buildings from its period of significance. Settlement grew from scattered farms into a village, and the arrival of the railroad in 1871 passed it by, so the village changed little. Building slowed after 1900 as lots ran out, leaving a well-preserved enclave of early development.
Significance in brief: The district shows how a scattered farming area of the 17th and 18th centuries grew into a distinct village of homes, churches, municipal buildings and small businesses. It keeps a wide range of architectural styles, from Colonial Cape Cod cottages to mid-20th-century revival houses, with few modern intrusions. It still reflects development patterns that changed little between the early 19th century and about 1950, while other parts of Marshfield became commuter suburbs.
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 09001096, listed December 18, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Bow, Highland, Main, Old Main, Pleasant and Prospect Sts., Glen, Marshfield |
|---|---|
| County | Plymouth County |
| Listed | December 18, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09001096 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1729-1959 |
| Architectural style | New England Colonial, Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Cape Cod Cottage |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic character is well preserved with minimal alteration; some former businesses, a school and a firehouse have been converted to other uses, and most properties remain single-family houses. |
| Acreage | 134 |
| Coordinates | 42.14566, -70.73960 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 09001096.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q47535829
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.