Plymouth Antiquarian House
Also known as: Hedge House; Hammatt House
Why it's listed
Overlooking Plymouth Harbor from a slight rise on Water Street, this Federal-style house was built in 1809 for William Hammatt, a Plymouth merchant and ship owner. Its two-story main block forms an elongated octagon under a truncated hip roof, with a three-story ell at the rear and a dentiled Ionic porch on the facade. Inside, an octagonal hall is flanked by an octagonal parlor and keeping room. The ell was enlarged in 1830, and little has changed structurally since. Hammatt's business suffered after the War of 1812, and he later moved to Maine. In 1830 Thomas Hedge, another merchant with shares in whaling ships and a candle factory, bought the house, and his family lived there for nearly a century. The Plymouth Antiquarian Society acquired it in 1920 and moved it beside its original site to prevent demolition. It now serves as a house museum furnished with period pieces, some of them Hedge heirlooms.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a fine, well-preserved example of a Federal elongated octagon. It was also the home of two prominent Plymouth families, the Hammatts and the Hedges. The house reflects the elegance and prosperity of Plymouth's maritime heyday.
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 74002034, listed December 27, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 126 Water St., Plymouth |
|---|---|
| County | Plymouth County |
| Listed | December 27, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74002034 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1809 and 1830 (19th century) |
| Architect / builder | William Hammatt (built the house in 1809) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition; moved in 1920 to a spot adjacent to its original site to avoid demolition; now operated as a house museum furnished with period Plymouth pieces. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.96040, -70.66722 (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 74002034.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715821
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.