BlockBefore
Photograph of John Boardman House
Photograph by User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Boardman, John, House

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. A historic map-sheet match is not published yet. The record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary.

From the record

“The John Boardman House is a historic First Period house in Boxford, Massachusetts. Its oldest portion dates to about 1740, but has stylistically older elements.”

Wikipedia article John Boardman House, CC BY-SA 4.0.

one of 350 National Register listings in Essex County · listed in 1990 · category: Building · one of 2 National Historic Landmarks in Essex County.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
  • Address. 6 Lawrence Rd., Boxford, 01921
  • When was it listed? 1990-03-09
  • Category. building
  • Also known as. First Period Buildings of Eastern Massachusetts TR
  • Township. Boxford town
  • Architectural style. American colonial architecture
  • National Register reference number. 90000361 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

The ground it stands on

4,187 words

The chapter on Boxford Town in The History of Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts, from the Earliest Settlement Known to the Present Time: a Period of About Two Hundred and Thirty Years, published 1880 names Boxford. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

Boxford has always been noted, on account of its rural advantages, temperance, and simple manner of living, as one of the most healthful places that can be found anywhere in our northern latitude. It has been a current remark, and one that is exceedingly full of meaning, that Boxford is without a doctor. The reason of this is, there is little fora doctor to do. Dr. George Moody, who was settled here for a few months, said: " I might as well practise in heaven." 'The inhabitants live generally to extreme old age. The prevalence of fatal diseases is almost unknown. Small-pox was first known in 1722 ; and it prevailed to a slight extent in 1760, and resulted in the deaths of Lydia, wife of Dr. Foster, Jan. 17, and Richard, son of Richard Pearl, Dec. 7, both of the West Parish. In a letter dated Aug. 26, 1776, Eunice, wife of John Pearl, says, "The small-pox has been at Richard Tyler's for several weeks past; those who have had it are likely to get well." Again, in 1854, we were visited by this dire disease ; this time resulting, Dec. 17, in the death of James Leach, a native of Taungend, Eng., and a laborer in the cottonfactory. In order to prevent the prevalence of this disease, Cornelius Gould, Stephen Peabody, and Israel Adams were appointed a committee April 15, 1811, to superintend inoculation.

Passage source: The History of Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts, from the Earliest Settlement Known to the Present Time: a Period of About Two Hundred and Thirty Years, published 1880.

Brown. - Cornelius was surveyor in 1707, and a selectman in 1711. Wife, Susanna. His dau. Susanna was admitted to First Church, 1705. He lived in the West Parish, and belonged to the church in Bradford till the Second Church was formed in Boxford. His wife d. in 1734, at the age of seventy-four years. He was in Boxford in 1737. Aaron, wife, Susanna, by whom he had ch.: Aaron, b. 1720; Daniel, 1722; and Abigail, 1724. He was taxed here, 1717 and 1718. He d. before 1731, when she m. William Lakeman of Ipswich. Caleb was deacon of the Second Church. Wife, Elizabeth. First child b. 1724. Ch.: Sarah, Mary, Hannah, Elizabeth, Caleb, Susanna, Clark, Hepzibah, David, and Maximilian. Removed to Harvard, spring of 1743- and Martha (Smith) Burbank. Came to Boxford before 1711. His wife was Hannah, by whom he had ch. b. in Boxford: Timothy, Margaret, Asa, and David. He d. "very suddenly," 1 Feb., 1749-50, a. seventy-nine years. denezer, brother of Caleb, b. in Rowley, 28 June, 1687. Was taxed here 1715, 1716. Calls himself of Boxford, 1717, when he confirms to Samuel Cole of Lynn the farm occupied by the late Manly H. Cole. Wife, Sarah. Carpenter by trade.

Passage source: The History of Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts, from the Earliest Settlement Known to the Present Time: a Period of About Two Hundred and Thirty Years, published 1880.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Boxford Town - 4,187 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Fires near this property

76 since 2006

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 76 fires within 5 miles of Boardman, John, House between 2006 and 2020, burning about 233 acres in total. None started naturally. 8 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning22
Recreation and ceremony14
Missing data/not specified/undetermined12
Equipment and vehicle use8
Arson/incendiarism8
Smoking7
Power generation/transmission/distribution5

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
6 September 2007Recreation and ceremony1.0 acresMassachussetts State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
28 September 2019Recreation and ceremony1.0 acresMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
21 September 2020Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
18 September 2020Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
14 September 2016Smokingunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire ControlNORTH ANDOVER
13 September 2020Smoking1.2 acresMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
7 August 2016Debris and open burning2.0 acresMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire ControlMIDDLETON
7 August 2016Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire ControlTOPSFIELD

Every fire recorded in Essex County

Specimens collected near this property

12 of 2,723 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 2,723 specimens collected within 10 miles of Boardman, John, House between 1800 and 1975: 1,065 Plantae, 1,005 Animalia, 601 Fungi, 16 Unrecorded, 13 Chromista, 12 Protozoa, 11 Bacteria. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A Brown, A S Gaunt, A. B. Seymour and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.

Image SpeciesYear Collected by Where, as recorded
A photograph of the species Rhodocollybia prolixa, not of this specimenRhodocollybia prolixa var. distorta (Fr.) AntonĂ­n, Halling & Noordel.1800R. B. MackintoshPeabody
A photograph of the species Viola labradorica, not of this specimenViola labradorica Schrank1816not recordedAndover Turnpike, 6 miles from Boston U.S.A.
A photograph of the species Brasenia schreberi, not of this specimenBrasenia schreberi J.F.Gmel.1821not recordedPleasant Pond, Wenham, Mass.
A photograph of the species Diphyscium foliosum, not of this specimenDiphyscium foliosum (Hedw.) D.Mohr1822ALCOTT
A photograph of the species Arcyria oerstedii, not of this specimenArcyria oerstedii Rostaf., 18751826F. A. Gilbert
A photograph of the species Dumetella carolinensis, not of this specimenDumetella carolinensis (Linnaeus, 1766)1833J.S. AppletonWest Newbury
A photograph of the species Glyceria obtusa, not of this specimenGlyceria obtusa (Muhl.) Trin.1838W Oakes
A photograph of the species Clethra alnifolia, not of this specimenClethra alnifolia L.1840OakesHerbariumRowley
A photograph of the species Euphorbia polygonifolia, not of this specimenEuphorbia polygonifolia L.1840Wolle, J.Ipswich
A photograph of the species Iva frutescens, not of this specimenIva frutescens L.1840Oakesad Ipswich
A photograph of the species Potentilla anserina, not of this specimenPotentilla anserina L.1840Wolle, J.Ipswich
A photograph of the species Sisymbrium officinale, not of this specimenSisymbrium officinale (L.) Scop.1840OakesIpswich

All 2,723 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries near this property

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Boardman, John, House: 2 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sulfur, Iron. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Georgetown MineIronPast Producer
Harriman MineSulfurPast Producer

Every working recorded in Essex County

Storms near this property

17 since 2006

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Boxford, the town this property stands in, in 17 storm reports between 2006 and 2023: 14 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 lightning. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2014LightningEast Boxford$50,000Lightning struck a house on Baldpate Road in Boxford which ignited a fire.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindEast Boxford$50,000Trees and wires on Glendale Road were downed by thunderstorm winds. A tree was downed onto a car on Lake Shore Road, blocking the road.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindEast Boxford$20,000Trees on Ipswich, Barehill, and Whitney Roads were downed by thunderstorm winds. Wires on Georgetown and Hillside Roads were downed.
September 2014Thunderstorm WindEast Boxford$10,000Trees and wires on Main Street and Glendale Road were downed by thunderstorm winds.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindWest Boxford$6,000At 1:25 PM EST a thunderstorm brought several trees down on wires on Great Pond Road in North Andover.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindEast Boxford$5,000Trees were downed by thunderstorm winds on Blueberry Lane and Rowley Road in Topsfield.
September 2023Thunderstorm WindEast Boxford$4,000In Boxford, numerous trees and wires were down on various streets with one tree down on the roof of the fire station.
September 2023Thunderstorm WindEast Boxford$3,000In Boxford, there were trees and wires down on several streets.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindEast Boxford$1,800In Topsfield, a tree and wires were down on Haverhill Rd (Rt 97) at Ipswich Rd. A tree was down on Rowley Rd and a tree was down on wires on Wilmor Rd.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindWest Boxford$1,500At 134 PM EST, a tree was down on state route 133 in Boxford, blocking the road.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindBoxford-Trees and wires down on Topsfield Road.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindEast Boxford-Wires down.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindEast Boxford-Trees and wires down on Oak Ridge Road.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindBoxford-Numerous trees and wires down in Boxford and Andover.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindBoxford-Trees down on Dona and Middletown Roads blocking the roadway.
June 2012HailEast Boxford-no account filed
July 2006HailBoxford-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Essex County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

From the nomination file

998 words on record

When this property was proposed for the National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is, and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain. It is reproduced in full on its own page, word for word and never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s typewriter's.

The whole case file for this property - 998 words, 9 pages, reproduced complete.

Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 90000361, 9 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
Palmer School1.2 miles1998
Holyoke-French House1.4 miles1972
Spofford-Barnes House2.4 miles1974
Foster, Phineas, House2.5 miles1990
House at 922 Dale Street3.0 miles1990
Gould, Capt. Joseph, House3.3 miles1990

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 90000361 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia articleCommunity-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Essex CountyAll 350 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.