Perkins House
483 Main St
1850
Architectural Style
Greek Revival, Italianate
Significance
Architecture
Use Type
Single Family Dwelling House
Neighborhood
Bridgewater Town Center
Massachusetts Historical Commission Report
Architectural Significance
#483 Main St. is of interest as a transitional Greek Revival-Italianate house. It is composed of a 1 1/2 story, 3-bay, side hall plan main block and a 3-level side wing. (The wings basement is below street grade, level with lowlands to rear). Particularly noteworthy is the handsome, recessed entrance with heavy Greek Revival enframements. The main block-is enclosed by a steeply pitched gable roof. Windows are fully enframed and cornice headed. The side wing's street facade features a steeply pitched, fully enframed gable with a distinctive round headed window with keystone molding.
Historical Significance
This house is one of the several Perkins family-related dwellings near the intersection of Main-Center-High Sts. Built c. 1850 an A. Perkins lived here during the 1850's and an Isaac Perkins resided here by 1873. Perkin's family members lived here until the early 1900's—this family is associated with the Lazell-Perkins Ironworks (Bridgewater Iron Co.) which was located further to the east on the Town River, off High St. at Stanley. As early as 1785 David Perkins started a sawmill on the river—shortly afterward he teamed up with Nathaniel Lazell to start a forge in the vicinity of the mill—in 1793 the Lazell, Perkins iron works began with a production of 450 tons of iron annually. To the rear of #483 Main St. is the "Jurgey Swamp" which includes the Jurgey brook and meadow (meaning of Jurgey unknown)—iron ore was extracted from these low lands.