massachusetts homes

Stone Estate and Gate Lodges // 1910

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Jutting into Buzzards Bay in Marion, Massachusetts, Great Hill is significant not only as the highest point in town but it is also home to one of the grandest estates in New England. Before the present mansion and various outbuildings were constructed here in the early 20th century, the property was home to Marion House, a sprawling 1860s resort hotel that drew hundreds of summer guests every year. In the early 1900s, Boston financier and Hayden, Stone & Co. co-founder, Galen L. Stone (1862-1926) bought the entire 312-acre peninsula and had the old hotel torn down. In its place, Stone commissioned this massive Tudor-style stone mansion with a central Great Hall built from stone quarried in Pennsylvania and shaped on-site by dozens of stonecutters. The estate was designed by architect, Horace Frazer of the firm, Chapman & Frazer, and it takes strong design elements from the country estates in the English countryside. Inside, the spaces are finished largely in oak with the grounds dotted with formal gardens, greenhouses, by landscape architects, Shurcliff & Shurcliff. The castle-like Main House, was greatly reduced from its original size in the 1950s to make the residence more manageable for later descendants, but even over one hundred years later, it remains one of the most impressive English Revival country houses in the United States, and the property’s grounds are open on weekdays for walking and cycling on paved roads.

“Fair Oaks” // 1903

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

One of the many grand Summer estates on the coast of Sippican Harbor in Marion, Massachusetts, is this mansion known as “Fair Oaks”. The residence was built in 1903 in the Tudor Revival style for Otis A. Shepard a wealthy lumber dealer in Boston. Given Shepard’s line of work he not surprisingly called his summer estate “Fair Oaks”, and his house’s building materials were undoubtedly supplied by his company. For his summer estate, Shepard hired Boston architect, Charles Allerton Coolidge, who spent summers at his own cottage nearby and designed many historic homes in Marion for other summer residents. A number of years later, the property was purchased by Elizabeth F. Clark and her husband Edward A. Clark (1868-1922), a stock broker in Boston. Exterior and interior images of the house during Clark’s ownership appeared in architectural publications in 1919, highlighting the architecture and interior design.

Leonard-Mitton Estate // c.1900

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

One of the grandest homes overlooking Hammetts Cove and Sippican Harbor in Marion, Massachusetts, the Leonard-Mitton Estate showcases the status of the coastal community as a premier summer colony for wealthy Boston families going back over 100 years. The estate was built around 1900 for Charles Webster Leonard (1844-1941) of Boston and later New York, who without formal education, became the owner of a number of mills and quarries throughout New England and was a director of several local banks and businesses. A renowned horseman, he owned a breeding farm in Lexington, Kentucky and a trotting track in Readville. He was married to Emelyn Thatcher Welch in Paris and together, they built and owned this house until 1916. The residence is a sprawling Colonial Revival style mansion clad in stucco and capped with a gambrel roof. Its form comprises of a 2 1/2-story main block with two-story wings extending at 30-degree angles from the sides to provide better views of the harbor. By 1916, the summer residence was sold to George W. Mitton (1869-1947), the eldest son of Edward J. Mitton and Sarah Wade, the second generation of a family of merchants who operated the Jordan Marsh department store in Boston. Starting as a stock boy, George Mitton eventually became president of the company. He was trained in the business by his father, Edward J. Mitton, the Jordan Marsh president, and Eben D. Jordan, the company’s founder. George Mitton was credited with growing the company into New England’s largest department store and introducing innovations such as executive training programs and employee benefits. George Mitton and his wife, spent summers at their Marion “cottage” until George’s death, but the property remained under the ownership of the family until the 1970s. The expansive waterfront property was recently renovated and sold, preserving this grand estate for another century. 

Austin Cottage and Moon Gate // 1885

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The Austin Cottage and Moon Gate on Water Street in Marion, Massachusetts, are iconic landmarks in the community that showcase the architectural history of this coastal community. The Queen Anne style “cottage” was designed by Boston architect and Marion summer resident, William Gibbons Preston, for Judge James Walker Austin (1829-1895) in 1885. Early in his professional career, James W. Austin left Boston for the Hawaiian Islands, where he was recruited by King Kamehameha as a legal advisor and went on to serve as district attorney. He was elected a member of the Hawaiian parliament three times and was later appointed as judge in the Hawaiian Supreme Court and eventually became chief justice there before moving back to Boston in the 1870s. Judge Austin and his family summered at this cottage, known as “Edgewater” until his death, but the property remained in the Austin Family with final ownership held by the couple’s daughter Edith Austin (1873-1957). According to local lore, the moon gate was built for Edith around 1922 as an entrance to her extensive gardens. Edith is said to have been inspired by photographs of moon gates shared by her friend June Butler, who had married Parker Converse, who also summered in Marion, following their honeymoon in China. Local stones were used to construct the circular gate and the elements on the cornice of the gate were obtained from China. In Chinese culture moon gates are thought to offer an auspicious welcome or fortune to those who pass through with the ducks that adorn the top apparently symbolizing wealth and marital bliss. The garden has since been subdivided from the Austin estate, which was damaged in the 1938 New England Hurricane but both remain preserved today.

McCormick Garage // 1907

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Marion, Massachusetts, became an exclusive summer colony where wealthy families from cities would flock to soak up the sun and breathe fresh coastal air away from the heat and pollution of industrial centers at the time. One of these families was headed by Stanley Robert McCormick (1874-1947) of Chicago, the son of Cyrus McCormick, inventor and founder of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company which would later become the International Harvester Corporation. Stanley McCormick was married in 1904 to Katharine Dexter McCormick (1875-1967), also a member of a wealthy family, who would devote her life to advancing women’s causes, serving as the vice-president of the National American Women Suffrage Association and in 1920, co-founded the League of Women Voters. Katharine remained active in later life, funding new birth-control research and the building of an all-women’s dormitory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, named McCormick Hall. Soon after Stanley and Katharine married, they purchased waterfront property in Marion, where Stanley spent summers as a child, to build a summer residence for his own family. In 1906, Stanley purchased land on Lewis Street and hired the Boston architectural firm of Page & Frothingham, to design and oversee construction of a large brick “cottage” and this brick garage structure down the street with a residence for the driver. While their summer residence was being built, Stanley McCormick, like his sister Mary, was diagnosed with schizophrenia. In 1909 he was declared incompetent by the California Supreme Court and would live for the rest of his life at the McCormick estate, “Riven Rock,” in Santa Barbara, California. In 1929, his wife Katharine and Stanley’s brother Harold were named conservators of his estate, which exceeded $30 million. The McCormick estate in Marion was occupied by Katharine’s mother for a number of years with Katharine visiting many summers. The cottage property was eventually sold and demolished in 1953, and the old garage was converted to a home with additions to make the property a year-round residence.

Marion Old Post Office – Ryder Cottage // c.1830

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Built around 1830, this little cottage is among the many photogenic buildings found along the idyllic Main Street in Marion, Massachusetts. The structure is said to have been originally located behind the Congregational Church and moved to its current location after 1855. By 1879, the structure was converted to a residence and owned by Ms. Sarah Ryder, then the widow of John C. Ryder. The vernacular cottage is sheathed in weathered shingles, which enhances its beauty and connects it architecturally with the coastal community.

Captain Luce & Captain Bates House // c.1790

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

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. 

John Pitcher House – Old Parsonage, Marion // 1813

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

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.

Cobb-Luce House // 1841

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

This beautiful side-hall Greek Revival style residence on South Street in Marion, Massachusetts, was built in 1841 as a parsonage for the Marion Congregational Church, built that same year. The first pastor to reside here was Rev. Leander Cobb, who assisted his father, Rev. Oliver Cobb, who had been preaching in Marion since the completion of the first meeting house in 1799. After Leander Cobb’s death in 1873, the church decided to sell this parsonage and it was purchased by Rev. Cobb’s second wife, Selina, who sold it to George Luce (1825-1893) a master mariner. In 1960, the property was sold to local historian and founder of the Sippican Historical Society, Olive Hiller Somers (1890-1967). The residence was renovated and retains much of its original architectural integrity.

Farmer-Colson House // 1803

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

A fine example of a Federal style brick-ender, the Farmer-Colson House in North Billerica is a stately and well-proportioned residence of its type in Massachusetts that has been lovingly preserved inside and out for over 200 years. The house was built in 1803 by Oliver Farmer (1760-1839) on land he acquired from his wife, Hannah’s father. The house was later inherited by Oliver and Hannah’s daughter, Rachel, and her husband Israel Colson. Israel Colson arrived in the mill village in about 1830 from Rhode Island and was a farmer by trade but became engaged in the development of the locks for the Middlesex Canal on the Concord River in the village. Architecturally, the house retains its symmetrical facade with center entrance adorned by a fanlight transom and sidelights, massive end chimneys, and an attached barn/stable.

Faulkner House // c.1825

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Adjacent to the Faulkner Mill, this early 19th century house in North Billerica was built by a member of the Faulkner family, who helped make the village an industrial center in this part of Massachusetts. This house is said to have been built around 1825 and was the residence of James Faulkner (1801-1877), who co-ran the adjacent Faulkner Mill with family, manufacturing cloth goods. A late Federal style house, the Faulkner residence features a five-bay facade with center entrance and corner quoins. After the death of James Faulkner, the property was inherited by his heirs, and in 1927, was given to the children of Billerica by Anne Faulkner, for use as a kindergarten, which remains to this day.

Dr. Bowers House // 1804

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

An excellent example of a Federal style country mansion, the Dr. Bowers House sits on the edge of the Town Common in Billerica, Massachusetts, retains its original form and architectural features which set it above many other residences of its period in town. The mansion was built in 1804 for Doctor William Bowers (1744-1820) and is square in plan with five bays on each side and brick end walls. The roof features a large monitor and massive chimneys extending from the rooms below. Formal entrances are located on both street-facing elevations, with the side door likely originally serving as an entrance to the doctor’s home office.

Danforth-Sexton House // c.1723

Buildings of New England1 Comment

Dating to about 1723, the Danforth-Sexton House on Concord Road in Billerica, Massachusetts, is one of the town’s finest Colonial-era homes and excellently preserved as the home to the Billerica Historical Society. The original owner, Jacob Danforth (1698-1754), was a blacksmith and lived here with his wife, Rebeckah, until his death in 1754. The property was inherited by their son, David, who would sell the house to Rev. Henry Cummings, the fourth pastor of the First Church of Billerica. A series of doctors owned the house in the early 19th century, one of whom likely added the small addition to the side of the main house, which possibly housed a small doctor’s office. The final private owners were William Sexton and his wife, Clara Sexton, who would eventually bequeath the home to the Billerica Historical Society. The house and the now attached barn operate as a house museum with collections documenting the history of the community.

Honorable Joseph Locke House // 1811

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

This beautiful Federal style house in Billerica, Massachusetts, was built in 1811 by Joseph Locke (1772-1853), a lawyer in Billerica until 1833, when he moved to Lowell residing there until his death. He was elected eight times to serve as a member of the state legislature from Billerica and once from Lowell and is best known for being the first justice to serve for the Lowell Police Court. The house was built on the site of the 1654 Jonathan Danforth homestead. In 1885, George E. Stearns bought the house and operated it as a hotel. After some time outside of the Stearns Family, the property was purchased by Dr. Albert Warren Stearns, psychiatrist and Dean of Tufts Medical School in 1915. The home has been preserved and maintains all the hallmarks of the Federal style.

Rufus Underhill House // c.1870

Buildings of New England1 Comment

The Rufus Underhill House in Billerica, Massachusetts, is an excellent example of the eclectic nature of residential architecture seen in the United States during the Victorian period following the conclusion of the Civil War. Without a clear distinguishing style, the house stands out for its unique form, architectural details, lancet windows and side four-story tower, all with paint colors to highlight and accentuate its distinctive features. The house and accompanying stable were built around 1870 for Rufus K. Underhill (1819-1894) and his wife, Deborah, as a place to spend their retirement. Rufus Underhill was born in Chester, NH and worked as a blacksmith, later establishing the Underhill Edged Tool Co. in Nashua later expanding to sales in Boston.