Thomas Shepard House

The Thomas Shepard House is a historic house at 764 East Hill Road in New Marlborough, Massachusetts. It is one of the older homes in New Marlborough (built 1798), and is one of three 18th century houses on a 3-mile (4.8 km) stretch of East Hill Road, which was then one of only three roads in the town. Thomas Shepard, for whom it was built, was a major figure in the town's early history. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[1]

Thomas Shepard House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	764 East Hill Rd., New Marlborough, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°5′21″N 73°12′2″W
Area	13.65 acres (5.52 ha)
Built	1798
Built by	Collar, Captain John
Architectural style	Georgian
NRHP reference No.	84002085[1]
Added to NRHP	May 31, 1984

Description and history

The Thomas Shepard House is located in a rural setting of eastern New Marlborough, on the north side of East Hill Road, west of its junction with Windemere Road. It is a two-story wood frame structure, with a hip roof, two interior chimneys, and a clapboarded exterior. The main facade is five bays wide, with a center entrance framed by sidelight windows and a corniced entablature. Most windows are rectangular sash, topped by projecting cornices, while that above the entrance is a three-part window with narrow sash windows flanking a larger central one. The main roof line has a line of dentil moulding at the cornice.[2] The house has retained most of its architectural work, although its roof was converted from a hip roof to a gable end roof in the 19th century, before being restored to its original form.[3]

The house was built about 1798 by John Collar, a regionally prominent builder whose surviving houses are known for their quality workmanship. Thomas Shepard, for whom it was built, was one of four brothers who were early settlers of New Marlborough, arriving by 1768. The Shepards and the Hartwells, its next owner, were both involved in the establishment of the Baptist Church in New Marlborough. It is possible that the Baptists meetings were held in the large chamber on the second floor of this house; the congregation did not build a church until 1847.[2]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Berkshire County, Massachusetts

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
2. "NRHP nomination for Thomas Shepard House". National Archive. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
3. "MACRIS inventory record for Thomas Shepard House". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2013-12-05.