The three-decker is a commonly found housing type in New England’s urban industrial cities. These buildings are typically of light-framed, wood construction, where each floor usually consists of a single apartment, and frequently, originally, extended families lived in two, or all three floors. These were affordable housing, largely built by and for first- or second-generation immigrant families who could build a home and rent the other two units to family or friends to offset the steep cost of a mortgage. These three buildings were constructed around 1895 by David Sullivan, a cabinet-maker in North Adams, Massachusetts. They are all Queen Anne in style with applied stickwork, gabled roofs, and multi-story porches. Housing like this is what keeps so many New England towns and cities (relatively) affordable with increased density without sacrificing character or charm.
In the late 19th century, Merrill Whitney, a former stone mason, and his wife Harriett, built a dozen multi-family housing units or “tenements” for the surge of working-class residents moving into the City of North Adams, Massachusetts. As the factories and mills were overrun with immigrant workers, rental units were built to provide housing for them and also lined the pockets of established residents of the city who could supply the much needed housing there. Some landowners like the Whitney’s built high-style housing that rivaled some of the single-family homes there. This was a two-family home that was rented through the early 20th century, and still features front porches, a tower, and Victorian-era detailing.
Queen Anne perfection! The Samuel Dearborn House sits at the beginning of Concord Avenue in Nashua, New Hampshire and is among the city’s finest examples of the great architectural style. Samuel Gerrish Dearborn was born in Northfield, New Hampshire, August 10, 1827. His father was an industrious farmer and allowed Samuel to be educated at Sanbornton Academy and the New Hampshire Conference Seminary. He graduated from Dartmouth in 1849 and began practicing medicine in various New Hampshire towns. He served as a surgeon during the Civil War and after, settled in Nashua, remaining a prominent doctor. He and his family were avid travelers and had trips to the Pacific northwest and Mexico. He had this stately Queen Anne style residence built in 1886 which exhibits all the hallmarks of the style. Varied materials and siding types, asymmetrical plan, ornate turned columned porch, gables with detailed shingling, and complex roofline are all so eye-catching.
Yet another of Nashua’s fine estates on Concord Street is the George French House, a more academic example of the Queen Anne style of architecture. The French House was built in 1890 for George Barstow French (1846-1933), an attorney in town. I really wish I could find more on the architect, as this seems to be a more academic example of the style with bold material choice of brick construction with brownstone and terracotta trim and detailing. The hipped roof with flared eaves and brick pilaster detailing on the second floor add a lot to the design and are not common! Does anyone know more?
One of the finest homes in Nashua, New Hampshire is this stately brick and brownstone mansion at the corner of Main and Prospect streets. It was built for Charles Horace Burke (1850-1912) and his wife, Asenath Burke (1856-1943) in 1889 as one of the most up-to-date residences in the city. As a young man, Charles was known as “the busiest businessmen” in Nashua. He would become the president of the Nashua Iron and Brass foundry as well as the director of the Second National Bank. In 1878, he was the city’s tax collector and he served as Mayor from 1889 to 1890, soon after he had this estate built. As mayor, Mr. Burke was responsible for the building of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Abbot Square and the Court Street Police Station. As Mayor, Burke also improved the sewage system, streets, sidewalks, and highways of Nashua. He hired architect Charles J. Bateman to furnish the plans for the house, which would take over a year-and-a-half to build. Bateman would later be named City Architect for the City of Boston, designing schools, firehouses, and more during his time there in 1893-4 and 1898. The house is a high-style Queen Anne Victorian home of brick with brownstone trim. There is an intact former carriage house at the rear. The house was inherited by Charles and Asenath‘s only child, a daughter, Tena, in 1914. She sold it two years later to Dr. Augustus W. Shea and his wife, Lucy. When Lucy passed away in 1948, her daughter sold the property to the Nashua Medical Center. It has seemingly been used as offices ever since. The large corner lot and adjacency to a large medical center across the street have me worried that this property may be threatened in the future for redevelopment, here’s to hoping Nashua can preserve this significant and architecturally grand estate! Thank you to the Nashua Historical Society for assistance researching this post!
WOW! Would you just look at this absolute stunner in Nashua? The town is not necessarily known for its historic architecture, but like most New England towns and cities, there are some amazing buildings to check out. This example, the James Tolles House, was built in 1890 and is one of the finest residences in the city. The stately residence was built for Mr. Tolles who served as Nashua’s 23rd mayor. The Tolles House stands out for the use of sandstone ashlar construction on the first floor with shingle siding above, carved terracotta panels, and a large, rounded corner tower capped with a domed copper roof. This one is pretty close to perfect!
Brookline Village is full of amazing double houses (or duplexes) built in the late 19th century. Many feature Queen Anne detailing and are architecturally striking with porches, complex rooflines, and trim details. This example was built in 1884 by Elijah Emerson, who had an estate nearby. His house was originally located where the park, Emerson Garden is located, but it was moved across the street. He had this double house built and rented it out to middle-class families who flocked to the neighborhood for the ease of access to Downtown Boston, while maintaining a bucolic feel (why many still today move to Brookline). Even though it is covered in aluminum siding today, the original wood clapboards and trim likely are waiting underneath to be revealed someday. But for today, we can gawk at the original details that are visible, including the semi-circular window, recessed porch with decorative balustrade, and porch with original entry doors.
While many lots in Brookline village in the final decades of the 19th century were being redeveloped as duplexes, three-deckers, and apartment houses, some property owners still wanted single-family living. In 1885, George Carpenter had this home in the village built from plans by well-known architect Obed F. Smith, who designed many Victorian-era homes in Boston’s Back Bay and around the region. George Carpenter worked in Downtown Boston as an agent for the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. The house features some Stick style elements seen in the porch spindles and carved brackets.
This house in West Acton is the last in this batch of Queen Anne style Victorian houses I’ll feature in the village. The dwelling was built in 1891 for a 31-year-old John Sherman Hoar, Jr. (1860-1954) and his new wife Minnie R. Hart. John was a master carpenter and built many of the Queen Anne style homes on Windsor Street and later Colonial Revival and Craftsman homes in the 1890s and 1900s himself. This was his own property which once included a workshop where he cut and manufactured many homes on the street. Today, the Hoar House has a cheery pink color scheme (which while not historically appropriate) brought a smile to my face when strolling by!
Another of Acton’s amazing old Queen Anne homes is the Edgar Hall House, an 1889 gem on Windsor Avenue. The house was built for Edgar Henry Hall and his wife Angelina who raised their daughter, Alice, in the home. Edgar and his brother inherited the family business from their father, Enoch Hall, and they produced wooden pails, tubs, clothing racks, and other wooden goods. The company employed over 30 workers in the early 20th century until it closed during the Great Depression. Edgar retired and relaxed from this stunning Victorian home until his death in 1954.
Buildings of New England 