Southwick, Elisha, House
Why it's listed
Set on Chockalog Street in a rural, wooded part of Uxbridge, this small house was built around 1820-1830 as a 1½-storey, central-chimney cottage with an ell on the east side. It rests on a hammered granite foundation and has 6/6 sash windows in projecting frames joined at the corners by wooden pins. The symmetrical facade has a raised-panel door with a five-pane transom, and a wide cornice cut with channelling that gives the impression of swags. Behind the house stands an unattached timber-frame workshop, possibly a former blacksmith shop. Maps of 1855 and 1857 show the property under the Southwick name, and the house may have been the home of Elisha Southwick, a wagon maker who reported producing wagons, carts and sleds in 1850. Later in the century it belonged to David L. Southwick, a farmer. It was listed for its intact Federalist vernacular design, materials, workmanship and setting.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as an excellent local example of Federalist-period vernacular architecture. It keeps its central-chimney timber-frame design, Federalist decorative details, and its original setting. It is also associated with Elisha Southwick, a wagon maker. It meets criterion C.
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 83004132, listed October 7, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Chockalog St., Uxbridge |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | October 7, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004132 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federalist (central-chimney "Cape") |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is the same as the original: a residence. The setting is rural, mostly second-growth woods, with one neighboring house. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.03955, -71.64534 (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 83004132.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5361811
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.