A historic house generally meets several criteria before being listed by an official body as "historic." Generally the building is at least a certain age, depending on the rules for the individual list. A second factor is that the building be in recognizably the same form as when it became historic. Third is a requirement that either an event of historical importance happened at the site, or that a person of historical significance was associated with the site, or that the building itself is important for its architecture or interior. Many historic houses are also considered museums and retain permanent collections that help tell the story of their house and the era.
4-573: The William Clapp House (1806) is a historic house located at 195 Boston Street, Dorchester, Massachusetts . It is the headquarters of the Dorchester Historical Society and contains many items from the society's collections, including 19th century furnishings and local historical items. It is one of two Clapp Houses owned by the society that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The house
8-448: The early nineteenth century. Government protection was first given during the late nineteenth century. Historic homes are often eligible for special grant awards for preservation. What makes a historic home significant is often its architecture or its importance to the culture or history of the area. There are some organizations that offer services to research the history of a home and others that provide repositories for users to document
12-465: The history of their homes. Historic homes may still be inhabited, and thus should not be confused with historic house museums . Houses are increasingly being designated as historic in the United States as a way to resuscitate neighbourhoods and increase the economic health of surrounding urban areas. Designating a house as historic tends to increase the value of the house as well as others in
16-740: Was built in 1806 for the marriage of William Clapp (March 3, 1779 - February 29, 1860), son of Capt. Lemuel and Rebecca (Dexter) Clap who built the nearby Captain Lemuel Clap House . The younger Clapp followed his father's business with the largest tannery in Dorchester. Later in life, Clapp devoted his time to his farm and the development of many varieties of pears . The most notable was Clapp's Favorite, developed in 1820 and marketed by 1860. It remains in wide commercial use today. Historic house Houses were first thought of as historic rather than just old or interesting , during
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