Hastings, Stephen, House
Also known as: Hastings-Jones-Wheaton House
Why it's listed
Built in the 1790s for Stephen Hastings, this large brick house at 20 Squareshire Road in Sterling, Massachusetts, is a Federal double house with four rooms on each floor around a central hall. Its main facade is laid in Flemish bond and has a narrow elliptical-arched entry beneath a large fanlight. The upper roof and many windows reflect mid-19th-century Greek Revival changes. Inside, carved mantels, reeded cornices and sliding window blinds draw on builders' guides by William Pain and Asher Benjamin. A movable partition on the second floor once opened two chambers into a gathering space. Hastings was a major farmer, militia officer and local leader, and his farm was Sterling's most valuable by the late 1820s. The 7.2-acre property keeps a granite-walled garden, an early well capstone, two early 20th-century outbuildings and more than 600 feet of shoreline on East Waushacum Lake. The house is still a private residence.
Significance in brief: The house is described as the finest and one of the largest dwellings of its era in Sterling, and probably the town's earliest historic brick building. Its interior holds the town's most sophisticated Federal detailing, drawn from period builders' guides. It is also tied to Stephen Hastings, a leading farmer, militia officer and local figure whose farm was the most valuable in Sterling by the late 1820s.
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 05001363, listed December 6, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 20 Squareshire Rd., Sterling |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | December 6, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05001363 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling; a 1985-86 kitchen ell and several dormers were added, while the main facade remains little changed. |
| Acreage | 7.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.40807, -71.74001 (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 05001363.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7609439
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.