McFarland, William, House
Why it's listed
This farmhouse at 525 Salisbury Street in Worcester is a timber-frame Cape Cod type dwelling thought to date from between 1743 and 1759, though one note suggests about 1800. It may have been built for William McFarland (1722-1805) on land given to him by his father, Andrew. Because several McFarland houses stood in the area, the exact original owner is uncertain, but William McFarland Jr., a soldier in Captain David Chadwick's company in 1777, certainly owned it. The house later passed to a daughter, and in 1858 it was sold to farmer George T. Foster, who lived there through the rest of the century. It has a rectangular plan, central chimney, rear ell, rubble-stone foundation and pitched roof. Its facade has two windows flanking a central entry. Described as a rare survivor of Worcester's early rural development, it reflects the vernacular building tradition of the Worcester area.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of Worcester's finest eighteenth-century Cape Cod type houses and a rare survivor of the city's earlier rural development. Its rectangular plan, central chimney and widely spaced three-opening facade are characteristic of vernacular architecture near Worcester and recall early eighteenth-century settlement of Worcester County. It is also linked to the McFarland family, including Revolutionary War service.
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 80000517, listed March 5, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 525 Salisbury St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | March 5, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000517 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Probably none (no architect identified) |
| Architectural style | Timber-frame vernacular, Cape Cod type |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; the form states the house was originally a residence (farmhouse) and has had the same use since. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.29023, -71.83107 (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 80000517.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8015401
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.