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Parson Barnard House
Photo: Fletcher6, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
National Register of Historic Places

Parson Barnard House

Listed as “Barnard, Parson, House”

Canton’s first place on the National RegisterListed Sep 6, 1974; only 266 of Massachusetts’s 4,457 listings are older
TransitionalListed 1974Canton
DirectionsAdd an old photo

Many listed buildings are private homes. Please enjoy them from the street.

About

About Parson Barnard House

Parson Barnard House, at 179 Osgood St., was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Sep 6, 1974: the first place in Canton to be listed. Only 266 of Massachusetts’s 4,457 listings are older. The Register lists it for its education, architecture and religion, at the local level. It describes its style as Transitional, as it does for 8 other Massachusetts listings. The listing covers 6.5 acres.

What it isMuseum in Massachusetts. From Wikidata (CC0). Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

PDFRead the original nominationThe form that put it on the Register, with its history, photos and a map · 31 MB · National Archives↗
Visit

Make it a walk: 5 landmarks in about 20 minutes

179 Osgood St., Canton · about 0.8 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1Parson Barnard HouseStart here
  2. 2Old BarnSimple Pitched-Roof Shed · 0.4 mi on
  3. 3Brookwood FarmCape Cod · Built 1820 · 0.2 mi on
  4. 4Eliot Memorial BridgeStructure · 0.2 mi on
  5. 5Great Blue Hill Observation TowerBuilding · next door
Around it

12 more Register listings within 2 miles

★ National Historic Landmark · D district · B building · S site. Each opens its own page.

★Great Blue Hill Weather ObservatoryCrenellated Tower, Simple Stone Shields · Built 18850.5 miBComfort StationSwiss Chalet0.9 miBRedman Farm HouseFederal1 miBRefreshment PavillionNeo-Classical · Built 19201.1 miDDavenport Estate Historic DistrictDistrict1.2 miBBlue Hills HeadquartersNeo-Classical · Built 19041.5 miBMetropolitan District Commission StableShingle Style1.5 miBPonkapoag Camp of Appalachian Mountain ClubLog Cabin1.8 miDBlue Hills Reservation Parkways-Metropolitan Park System of Greater BostonDistrict1.8 miDEustis Estate Historic DistrictDistrict1.8 miBSuffolk Resolves HouseBuilding2 miStPaul's BridgeBuilt 18492 mi

Memories of Parson Barnard House

The record says what it is. Neighbors know what it means.

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Have an old photo of it?Add it · +10

Questions about Parson Barnard House

Is Parson Barnard House on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on Sep 6, 1974 (Register number 74000918).

Is Parson Barnard House a National Historic Landmark?

No. It is on the National Register; Massachusetts has 189 National Historic Landmarks. The nearest is Great Blue Hill Weather Observatory, 0.5 miles away.

Can you visit Parson Barnard House?

Our record doesn’t say whether it is open to visitors. Many listed buildings are private, so it may only be seen from the street.

Where can I read the history of Parson Barnard House?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 31 MB PDF at the National Archives, linked on this page.

Sources: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · National Archives catalog record 63794872 · Wikidata. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.