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Townsend House
Photo: User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
National Register of Historic Places

Townsend House

On the National Register since 198244 years
Listed 1982Needham
DirectionsAdd an old photo

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

About

About Townsend House

Townsend House, at 980 Central Ave., was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Apr 1, 1982. It was among the first 3 of Needham’s 13 listings, with one other the same day. The Register lists it for its military, education, architecture and religion, at the local level. The listing covers 1.1 acres.

What it isHouse in Needham, 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 · 41 MB · National Archives↗
Through the years

1720 to today

  1. 1720Built
  2. 1982Added to the National Register of Historic Places
  3. 2026On the Register for 44 years
Visit

Make it a walk: 4 landmarks in about 15 minutes

980 Central Ave., Needham · about 0.6 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1Townsend HouseStart here
  2. 2Davis Mills HouseVernacular · Built 1834 · 0.3 mi on
  3. 3Israel Whitney HouseFederal · Built 1830 · next door
  4. 4McIntosh Corner Historic DistrictEarly Republic · 0.3 mi on
Around it

6 more Register listings within a mile

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

BRobert Fuller HouseFirst Period · Built 17070.4 miBAmos Fuller HouseBuilt 17540.6 miBTolman-Gay HouseBuilt 17430.8 miBKingsbury-Whitaker HouseColonial · Built 17200.8 miBEmery Grover BuildingSecond Renaissance Revival · Built 18980.9 miDNeedham Town Hall Historic DistrictLate 19th Century Revivals1 mi

Memories of Townsend House

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

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Questions about Townsend House

Is Townsend House on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on Apr 1, 1982 (Register number 82004420).

Is Townsend House a National Historic Landmark?

No. It is on the National Register; Massachusetts has 189 National Historic Landmarks. The nearest is Brook Farm, 3.5 miles away.

Can you visit Townsend 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 Townsend House?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 41 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 63796336 · Wikidata. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.