Goodwin, Ozias, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1795 at 7 Jackson Avenue in Boston's North End, this three-story, three-bay red brick house was constructed for Ozias Goodwin, a ship captain and ship-owner active in the East India trade. It was the last of four attached houses, and only the party wall to the southwest still shows that arrangement. The walls are load-bearing brick laid in common bond on a granite foundation, under a gable roof with a four-course brick cornice. The Goodwins lived here until 1807, and the house was sold in 1821 to Ammi Cutter, who turned the main entrance toward Jackson Avenue and added a Greek Revival doorway. Much of the interior woodwork dates from before about 1836. The house is valued as a rare surviving late 18th-century brick dwelling in a neighborhood later rebuilt with apartment blocks. Its courtyard may also hold archaeological remains of household life.
Significance in brief: It is one of the few remaining late 18th-century brick residences in the North End and retains much of its integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship. It reflects early 19th-century residential development in an area now dominated by later apartment blocks. Possible archaeological deposits beneath the courtyard may also yield information about the Goodwin household.
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 88000908, listed June 23, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7 Jackson Ave., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | June 23, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000908 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1795-1807 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling; the form notes it was not owner-occupied for much of its history. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.36748, -71.05479 (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 88000908.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715804
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.