National Register of Historic Places

Sparrow, Richard, House

Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Listed
October 8, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74002035

About this property

The Richard Sparrow House is a historic house at 42 Summer Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts and the oldest surviving house in Plymouth. The house was built around 1640 by Richard Sparrow, an English surveyor who arrived in Plymouth in 1636. He was granted a 16-acre (6.5 ha) tract of land in 1636 on which he later built the house. Sparrow moved to Eastham in 1653. The Richard Sparrow House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It is now operated as a house museum and art gallery and is part of Plymouth Village Historic District.

Location

42 Summer St.
Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts
41.95423, -70.66453

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
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.

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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.
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Nearby Historic Sites

First Parish Church of Plymouth
Colonial
0.1 mi
Old County Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Howland, Jabez, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Plymouth Post Office Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Old Burial Hill
Colonial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Sparrow, Richard, House listed on the National Register?

Sparrow, Richard, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 8, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Sparrow, Richard, House?

Sparrow, Richard, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Sparrow, Richard, House?

The period of significance for Sparrow, Richard, House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Sparrow, Richard, House?

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