National Register of Historic Places

Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
March 26, 2020
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
100005089

About this property

The Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead is a historic house and farm complex at 487 Norfolk Street in Boston, Massachusetts. Possibly built sometime between 1786 and 1806, the house on the property is one of the city's oldest surviving farmhouses. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. It is now home to the Urban Farm Institute, a local nonprofit organization. The Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead stands on about one-half acre in what is now a predominantly residential area of northern Mattapan, at the southwest corner of Norfolk and Hosmer Streets. The farmstead includes the main house and a carriage house/barn, set further back from the street than the surrounding later construction. The main house is a 2+1⁄2-story frame structure, with a gabled roof, central chimney, and clapboarded exterior. Its main facade is five bays wide, with projecting gabled entry vestibule sheltering its center entrance. Single-story additions extend to one side and the rear. The interior follows a typical center-chimney plan, with a narrow staircase winding around the chimney stack, and rooms on either side of the chimney. The house's construction date is uncertain. The land on which it stands was inherited by Samuel Fowler in 1786, at which time it only had a barn standing. By 1806, when he died, the property included a "mantion house", which was either built or moved there. Boston has only four documented surviving farmhouses built before 1806. An 11-acre parcel including the house was purchased in 1837 by Mary Clark, whose family probably built the extant carriage house/barn in the 1850s. The Clarke family retained ownership until 1940, and in 1941 the property was purchased by Jorge and Ida Epstein. The Epstein family retained ownership until 2015, when it was acquired by Historic Boston, a preservation nonprofit. Most of the land of the farm was subdivided and sold of by the early 20th century. National Register of Historic Places listings in southern Boston, Massachusetts

Location

487 Norfolk St.
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
42.28006, -71.08912

Categories

ARCHITECTUREAGRICULTURE
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead

This page lists Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Boston Consumptives Hospital
Colonial
0.6 mi
Morton Street, Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston
Modern
0.8 mi
Samuel Edelman Apartments
Industrial
0.9 mi
Mount Hope Cemetery
Listed
1 mi
Benjamin Silverman Apartments
Industrial
1 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Roxbury Lines
1775Revolutionary War
3.6 mi
Siege of Boston — Dorchester Heights
1776Revolutionary War
4.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead listed on the National Register?

Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 26, 2020.

What type of historic resource is Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead?

Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead?

The period of significance for Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Suffolk County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Suffolk County.

Explore SuffolkCounty ›

More historic places in Massachusetts

Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.

View Massachusettshistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Massachusetts history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Massachusettshistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farmstead will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report