Stetson-Ford House
Why it's listed
This farmhouse at 2 Meadow Farms Way in Norwell, Massachusetts, sits on a rise above the North River salt marshes, on land once part of the Stetson family's Hundred Acre Farm. Its south ell is traditionally believed to be the first small house of Thomas Stetson, possibly built in the mid 1670s, and exposed chamfered beams and posts still show First Period construction. In 1781 shipbuilder and housewright Michael Ford bought the property and, between 1783 and 1785, remade it into the five-bay, center-chimney house seen today, with a pedimented entry porch and transitional Georgian/Federal paneling and moldings. Three generations of Fords ran a shipyard at Fox Hill while farming here. George Morton's family farmed the land in the early twentieth century. The town of Norwell bought the property in 1972 and placed the house and three surrounding acres under the Norwell Historical Commission in 1984. Fieldstone foundations, walls and a well remain from the old farmstead.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as an outstanding example of a stylish early rural Massachusetts farmhouse that grew in stages from First Period construction to a late Georgian/Federal house. It is tied to the Stetson and Ford shipbuilding families, whose shipbuilding skills carried over into house carpentry. It is also significant for its surviving farmstead features and its later use as a town-owned educational property.
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 98000120, listed March 9, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2 Meadow Farms Way, Norwell |
|---|---|
| County | Plymouth County |
| Listed | March 9, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000120 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1674-1947 |
| Architect / builder | Thomas Stetson; Michael Ford |
| Architectural style | Colonial: Postmedieval English; Colonial: Georgian; Early Republic: Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Well maintained by the Norwell Historical Commission as an educational property for the public. A fire in 1956 led to roof and chimney repairs, and the house was re-sided in the early 1990s. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 42.12183, -70.78432 (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 98000120.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7611653
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.