Second Empire House

Lewis June House // 1865

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The Lewis June House sits on North Salem Road in northern Ridgefield, Connecticut, and is one of the finest Second Empire style homes in this part of the state. The c.1865 home was built for Lewis June (1824-1888), who was in the circus business, and it replaced an earlier home on the site that burned. Lewis June was a partner in the June, Titus and Angevine & Co. Circus that as early as 1842 toured 85 towns in six states. The circus wintered in Ridgefield. Past owners have since found many horseshoes, largely of small horses, on the property, suggesting that June kept the circus’ horses and ponies on this property. The home has been preserved thoughtfully and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

George Cobb House // c.1865

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

While most of the early homes in Newton Centre were built by a few landowners and rented to tenants, this charming Mansard cottage was owner-occupied from the start. Tucked away on the quiet (and appropriately named) Pleasant Street, the George Cobb House is one of the most beautiful old Victorians in the neighborhood. An early resident was George Washington Cobb (1840-1925) was a druggist who ran an apothecary in East Boston, and he made the long commute there every day from this house. The property has a mansard roof with pedimented dormer and three-story tower capped by a bell-cast mansard roof. Paneled pilasters and brackets add a lot of detail to the primary facade.

Cushing-Fearing Townhouse // 1862

Buildings of New England1 Comment

168 Beacon in the Back Bay was built ca. 1861, one of two contiguous houses for Robert Maynard Cushing and his older brother, John Gardiner Cushing (more on the house nextdoor in the next post). This home was Robert Cushing’s home for him and his new wife Olivia Donaldson Dulany (m.1863). They also maintained a home, The Ledges, in Newport. The Cushing Family owned the townhouse until 1908, when it was sold following Robert’s death in 1907 by his estate to George Richmond Fearing, Jr., an investment banker. He also served as President of the Free Hospital for Women from 1910 to 1936. The home was recently renovated with a darker, brownstone facade, new copper gutters and downspouts and slate roof. It presently houses three condo units inside.

Freeman House // c.1870

Buildings of New England3 Comments

One of my favorites in Dorchester is this Second Empire manse, built c.1870 for cotton broker Freeman S. Packer. The house at 14 Everett Street in the Clam Point/Harrison Square neighborhood is a handsome, formal example of a Luther Briggs-designed Italianate Mansard residence. Although today sheathed in vinyl siding, much of the original siding and trim detail are likely still under there, preserved. Set back from the street facing an ample hedge-enclosed front yard, the three bay main façade exhibits a center pavilion and full-length front porch which undoubtedly appealed to summer guests who vacationed here when this house was known at the Russell House, an apartment hotel during the 1890s and early 1900s.

Vadner House // 1874

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

This elegant estate which stands on the corner of E. Quincy and Pleasant streets in North Adams, Massachusetts was originally built for Samuel Vadner in 1874, by architect Frank Davis the architect. Samuel Vadner established his carriage repository in town in 1870, which saw immediate success. His company manufactured carriages, sleighs, wagons, harnesses, and more, during a period of wealth for the industrial city. The high-style Second Empire style house features a bellcast style mansard roof with broad overhanging eaves, a small entry portico, and a three-tier entry tower that is capped by a convex mansard roof.

R.J. Walden House // c.1872

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Located on the appropriately named Pleasant Street in North Adams, Massachusetts, this charming Second Empire style house is one of the finest in town. The house was built sometime between 1869-1875 for an R.J. Walden, who was listed in directories as a Deputy Sheriff for Berkshire County, an auctioneer, and real estate agent. Interestingly, the mansard roof is broken by a truncated corner tower with a flat roof. This is a unique one!

Ms. Sarah Wakeman House // 1871

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The Southport Chronicle reported on March 1, 1871 that “W. W. Wakeman, is about to erect, on the Hill, a very handsome residence”. The house would be built on Harbor Road in Southport, and was for his sister-in-law, a widow, Sarah Ann Fowler Wakeman and her two daughters, Mary and Frances. The Bridgeport-based architectural firm of Lambert & Bunnell (made up of Henry A. Lambert and Rufus W. Bunnell) teamed up to furnish the plans for this stately Second Empire style mansion. Sarah died in 1872, and the house was occupied by her daughters until 1913.

Oliver Mead Mansion // c.1870

Buildings of New England2 Comments

Acton, Massachusetts is one of the more underrated Massachusetts towns for great old buildings, many of which are well-preserved and taken care of by their owners. The Oliver Mead Mansion in West Acton Village is among the largest in this part of town and is a stellar example of the Second Empire style. The house and adjacent carriage house was built around 1870 for Oliver Mead (1823-1912), who co-owned the A. O. W. Mead Company with his two brothers, a successful produce marketing company where they sold poultry, eggs, cheese, fruit, and other goods from farms in Acton and Boxborough to their shop on Market Street in Downtown Boston. The company did well, and Oliver and his brother Adelbert built matching mansions in West Acton after the Civil War and business picked up. The house exhibits a central projecting tower bordered by quoins and topped by a mansard roof with iron cresting on top. The original carriage house remains in a great state of preservation as well. The Adelbert House and Carriage house nextdoor were demolished in the 1950s for the fire station on the site.

Lorenzo and Mary Hawkins House // c.1870

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Another of the charming mini mansard cottages in Stoneham, Massachusetts is this home, the Lorenzo and Mary Hawkins House. The home was built for Lorenzo D. Hawkins and his wife, Mary around 1870. Lorenzo worked as a shoe and elevator manufacturer in town and in Downtown Boston. The house is a two-story wood-frame structure with irregular massing. It has the classic mansard roof, an ornately decorated entry porch, heavily bracketed cornice, and round-arch windows in its dormers and front bay.

E. A. Durgin House // 1870

Buildings of New England2 Comments

Would you just look at this house?! Massachusetts may have the most Second Empire/Mansard style houses in the United States, but some really stand out. This home in Stoneham, Massachusetts was built around 1870 for local shoe dealer Erastus A. Durgin. The mini mansard home is pretty typical besides the prominent square tower with a steeply pitched gable roof that stands over the entrance. Charming!