Federal Style

Sherman’s Inn – Beverly Yacht Club // 1784

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One of the oldest homes in Marion, Massachusetts is this beautiful gambrel-roofed Cape house on Water Street, backing up to the town’s iconic harbor. The residence dates to at least 1784 constructed seemingly as an inn for sailors who would dock their ships in the harbor just behind the property. It was later acquired by Edward Sherman (1790-1867), a shipwright and carpenter who built schooners at the wharfs in town, becoming Sherman’s Inn. In 1868, his son Edward Franklin Sherman (1821-1907), also a ship carpenter, sold the waterfront property after his father’s death to Andrew A. Harwood, an admiral in the United States Navy, Commodore of the Washington Navy Yard, and through his mother, a great-grandson of Benjamin Franklin! During the early twentieth century, the iconic property became the home of Dr. William McDonald, physician to Franklin D. Roosevelt during the 1920s. Roosevelt sought Dr. McDonald’s medical advice after contracting polio. The Beverly Yacht Club acquired the building in 1955 and have maintained the building ever since. Interestingly, the Beverly Yacht Club was originally named after the town of Beverly, north of Boston, when members broke from the Eastern Yacht Club of Marblehead. For the first 23 years, the club had no fixed location, but eventually settled in Bourne, and then merged with the local Sippican Yacht Club. The Great Hurricane of 1938 destroyed their clubhouse and they were “homeless” for years until moving to Marion into this 1784 home, later expanding it to meet growing needs.


Andrew and Cynthia Allen House // 1821

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If you look closely, you will see that the two windows to the left of the door to this house are slightly farther than those to the right. This minor detail is a clue that this historic home on Main Street in Marion, Massachusetts, was originally built as a half-cape (with two windows and a door to the side) and later expanded to its present full cape form. The house was built in 1821 by Andrew M. Allen (1795-1874), a housewright for his own residence. Andrew and his wife Cynthia had five daughters, which likely necessitated the expansion of the family home by the mid-19th century.

Briggs House // c.1820

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This tiny half-cape house on Main Street in the harbor town of Marion, Massachusetts, was likely built around 1820 for Silas Briggs (1792-1833), a mariner, who married Desire Clark a year prior. Silas would pass away by 1833, leaving Desire widowed to raise three children and maintain their home. When he came of age, the house was inherited by Timothy H. Briggs, who followed his father’s footsteps to become a sea captain. Timothy lived here with his wife, Josephine and elderly mother, never needing to expand the home into a full cape like what was done to so many other residences in the mid-19th century. Captain Timothy Briggs died in 1877 while at sea and his widow too lived in the home into the 20th century. The old Briggs House retains its original half-cape form, 12-over-12 sash windows, central chimney, and elaborate door surround, which makes the small but mighty cottage one of my favorites in Marion!

Blankinship-Prichard House // c.1794

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Marion, Massachusetts, is an old house lover’s dream. The coastal town’s Main Street is lined with historic cottages, large 19th century homes built for sea captains, and historic churches that show the evolution and growth of the sea-faring community. This cape house with oversized dormers was built c.1794 for Captain Job Blankinship (1764-1799), who married Betsey Hammond that same year. Tragically, Captain Blankinship died at sea in 1799, but the property remained in the family until the mid-19th century. The residence was later purchased by Henry and Abby Luce Prichard. Henry was a Civil War veteran who enlisted in the 25th Massachusetts Volunteer infantry and was part of the Burnside Expedition fought off the coast of North Carolina. Later in the war, Prichard was seriously wounded at the Battle of Cold Harbor and was discharged, and never fully recovered. He worked in his later years as an accountant in Marion and took up canoeing in the harbor until his death in 1913. It was likely after that the large dormers were added to the roof, which were later connected in the 21st century.

Ward Parker Delano House // c.1780

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During late 18th and early 19th centuries, the rise of the coastal schooner trade and whaling ushered in a long period of prosperity for coastal towns in New England, which continued unabated until the Civil War. The War of 1812 provided many Marion sailors and sea captains with the chance to experience life at sea with privateers papers issued by the United States government, these captains went to sea in their schooners to hunt down British ships, plundering them like pirates. One of these captains was Ward Parker Delano (1819-1867), who lived in this house overlooking Sippican Harbor. The house likely dates to the mid-late 1700s and was probably originally built by his grandfather, Captain Stephen Delano (1749-1821). Under subsequent owners in the Delano family, the home was modified on numerous occasions in styles popular at the time until the early 20th century when it was Colonialized, which added the portico, gable, and dentils, possibly by Ward Parker Delano II (1851-1915) or his son, Ward Parker Delano III (1883-1940) descendants, who summered at the old family home, and were both prominent architects of the early 20th century.

Captain Luce & Captain Bates House // c.1790

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Reportedly built in 1790, this stately Federal period residence on Main Street in Marion and overlooks the sheltered harbor sharing strong connections to the sea. Known colloquially as the House of the Two Captains, this residence was built as a double house and known for its connections to sea captains, Elisha E. Luce (1786-1850) and Noble E. Bates. Captain Luce moved into this house shortly after his marriage to Jane Hiller, daughter of a local Deacon. Particularly note-worthy is the main facade’s center entrance, which exhibits unusually fine surrounds, including fluted Doric pilasters and a pediment enlivened by dentils. Inside, the house is said to have hidden passages behind a large fireplace. The captains used part of the house as a crockery and supplies store. Captain Elisha E. Luce’s best-known ship was the Persia, which made numerous profitable trade missions to the Far East. This house was also the birthplace of the Universalist Church in Marion, when during the early 1830s, Universalists met in Captain Bates’ half of the house to organize a religious society and plan the construction of the church. The Luce and Bates families co-owned this house until the mid-19th century and the residence remains one of the finest in the harbor village. 

Hadley’s Store – Ryder-Harwood House // c.1806

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This late-Georgian style residence on Main Street in Marion’s Wharf Village is a stone’s throw from the harbor and has been conveniently located near the town’s Long Wharf since it was constructed around 1806. The building was constructed as a store for A. J. Hadley, where ships were outfitted for voyages. While Hadley’s store occupied the eastern half of the first story, the left side of the ground floor was Marion’s first post office. The second floor served as a clothes-making factory with the top floor operating as a sailmaker’s loft. By 1855, the structure was converted to a residence and owned by Sumner Ryder, who served as the Town Clerk and later joined the ranks of the Union Army during the Civil War. During the early 20th century, the property, with its widow’s walk, was owned by members of the Harwood family, including Ms. Sarah W. Harwood, who lived here with Margaret French (1860-1935) who was listed in the Census for decades as her partner, housemate, and boarder. 

Handy’s Tavern – Sippican Woman’s Clubhouse // 1812

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In 1812, a recently married Caleb Handy (1782-1855) built this house in the main village of Marion, Massachusetts, to serve as a residence and tavern to supplement additional income. The tavern provided lodging for travelers on the nearby stagecoach route and those who docked in the nearby harbor. Within a year of the couple moving into their new home, Caleb’s wife Sophia died unexpectedly. She was 22 years old. Within two years, Caleb married his late wife’s sister, Mary Dexter, and the couple had nine children together. The property was inherited by their son, Benjamin Bumpas Handy (1822-1897), a former sea captain who would later move west and help settle Mound City, California (now known as Loma Linda). In the 20th century, the property was purchased in 1923 by the Sippican Woman’s Club, who renovated and restored the building, holding events and meetings inside to this day.

John Pitcher House – Old Parsonage, Marion // 1813

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Known as the “Old Parsonage” this historic house in Marion, Massachusetts, was built in 1813 by Capt. John Pitcher (1788-1867) around the time of his marriage to Catharine Clark. John Pitcher was the brother of Elizabeth Pitcher Taber, a major benefactor of the town of Marion. The residence is unique in that the primary facade is actually facing away from the street, with the prominent three-story facade being the historic rear of the home. The Federal period house sits on a raised stone foundation with a central door and shingle siding above. Behind his home, a large pasture was grazed by sheep and cows until the land was sold off and subdivided for residential development later in the 19th century. When Capt. Pitcher died, he left his house to the Congregational Church, which used it as a parsonage for many years until 1966, when the church sold the property to Lawrence P. and Edith G. Pangaro, who co-founded the Marion Sentinel and the Sippican Publishing Company. The home was recently renovated.

Look-Coggeshall House // 1828

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Believe it or not, this beautiful home was once a one-story Cape house and given its present appearance in 2003! Built in 1828, the Look-Coggeshall House sits on the idyllic Main Street in Marion, Massachusetts, and was constructed for Captain Hiram Look (1803-1865), a sea captain, and his new wife Kezia within a year of their marriage. They had two daughters, one of which, Amanda, would inherit the family home with her husband, Bernard Coggeshall, who shows up in the census at varied times as a: tin peddler in 1870, huckster in 1880, a dealer in stoves in 1900, and as an owner of a hardware store by 1910. Old photos of the house show the original four-bay Cape form before the house was given its second story in 2003. The designer did an excellent job to preserve the door surround with transom, lintels and maintain the window spacing, with the addition of a band between the floors which visually depicts where the original roof began.

Eastman House – Fleetwood Farm // c.1792

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Perched on a hill just outside Tamworth Village, the Eastman House stands as a stately Federal period farmhouse that later became a summer residence, a parallel to many similar homes in this community. The house was built around 1792 for William Eastman (1738-1800) a Revolutionary War veteran who settled in Tamworth and became selectman, Deacon of the Congregational Church, and Constable in town. The property functioned as a proper farm with detached barns and other agricultural structures that remain today. By the late 19th and early 20th century, the farm became a summer residence and given the name, Fleetwood Farm by residents.

Deacon Chesley House // c.1798

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The Deacon Chesley House sits on Hollow Hill Road just outside the village of Tamworth, New Hampshire, and is a quintessential example of a rural New England farmhouse. The residence was built around 1798 and is associated with owners, James Jewett Chesley (1813-1908) and Eliza (Chapman) Chesley. James was the Deacon of the village church and farmed the land here utilizing the various barns and outbuildings. The Federal style farmhouse is in a cape form with center entrance and chimney and covered with cedar shingles.

Enoch Remick House // c.1808

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Tucked into the quiet village of Tamworth, New Hampshire, the Captain Enoch Remick House can be traced back to around 1808, when John Remick, a shipwright and joiner formerly from Newmarket, had inherited part of a larger family land purchase dating to 1779. He purchased additional land and built a house in 1808 for his family. The property later passed to his son, Captain Enoch Remick (1798-1879), who modernized and expanded the house turning the once family farmhouse into a local hub as an inn and a stagecoach stop on the Center Harbor–Conway route. Besides running this inn and farm, owner Enoch Remick also served as the Sheriff for Carroll County. In 1867, Remick sold his property to Nathaniel Hubbard, Jr., the year prior to Hubbard’s marriage to Remick’s daughter Sarah. The couple farmed the land here for decades until Mr. Hubbard died in 1892. Edwin Remick, a doctor and nephew of Sarah Remick Hubbard, purchased the home in 1904 and lived upstairs with his family while he ran his medical practice below. His practice was joined by his son, Edwin Remick Jr., also a doctor. The property remained in the family and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, and today serves, alongside its farm outbuildings and roughly 69 acres of land, as the centerpiece of the Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm. The main house is a landmark example of the Federal style with its main five-bay facade with later 19th century portico, unique Palladianesque window capped by louvered fans, and Federal style side entrance which long served as the entrance to the inn and later medical offices. The Remick House remains as one of the finest examples of a residence of its style in New Hampshire.

Hall-Dyer House // c.1830

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This charming example of a New England Federal style house is located in the village center of Tamworth, New Hampshire and has lived quite the life. The residence was built in about 1830 for Obed Hall (1795-1873), one of Tamworth’s first lawyers. Mr. Hall married a local woman, Elizabeth “Betsey” Gilman and they had a daughter, Caroline in 1830. Tragically, at the age of 26, Elizabeth died within a year of giving birth to Caroline, leaving Obed to care for their daughter alone. Obed Hall lived in this house with his daughter for 16 years until he remarried in 1847 to Caroline Eleanor. History repeated when Hall’s second wife had a baby daughter, Eleanor Mary (Nellie) in 1849 and then died within a month, leaving Obed with a second child to raise. Despite his family losses, Hall was Register for Probate for Carroll County from 1840 to 1851 and was a State Senator in 1854 and 1856. He appears to have extended the house to rent it to an additional family, likely to assist with raising his two daughters. After his death in 1873, the property was inherited by daughter, Nellie, and her husband, Jewett Lowe, who modernized the house likely to house hotel workers as Tamworth became a popular summer retreat in the early 20th century. In 1946, the house was sold to the New England Box Company, based in Greenfield, Massachusetts, but maintained mills around New England including one just east of Tamworth. The company divided up the house into three two-story apartments for local company employees, including lumbermen and mill workers, many of whom recently returned from overseas during WWII. The property went back to private ownership by the Dyer family, who in 2008, sold the property to the Tamworth Historical Society, now known as the Tamworth History Center, who maintain and operate it as a house museum.

Whipple House // 1837

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The Whipple House in Ashland, New Hampshire, is a remarkable example of a Federal style cape and significant as the childhood home of a Nobel Prize winner. Built in 1837 by merchant Obadiah Smith (1787-1853), the brick home served as a residence for five generations of the same family and was the birthplace of Nobel Prize-winning physician Dr. George Hoyt Whipple (1878-1976), who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1934 with George Richards Minot and William Parry Murphy for “their discoveries concerning liver therapy in cases of anemia”. Towards the end of his life, in 1970, Dr. Whipple donated the family home to the town as to preserve its legacy as a museum. Architecturally, the home reflects the simplicity and craftsmanship of New England’s mid-19th century vernacular design, featuring a symmetrical five-bay façade with center entrance containing a fanlight transom and oversized dormers on the roof which date to the 20th century. It remains as the headquarters of the Ashland Historical Society.