Federal – Historic Buildings of Massachusetts

Anderson Market (1828)

by Dan/May 20, 2020/Commercial, Concord, Federal

The Concord Historic Buildings Website is a project of the Concord Free Public Library. It focuses on several buildings in town, providing a detailed history of each with links to related primary sources, many of which are held in the library’s William Munroe Special Collections. One of the buildings featured on the website is the former Anderson Market at 42-44 Main Street (listed as 32 Main Street in MACRIS). The website provides a detailed history of the building across 29 web pages with numerous links to primary material. The structure is one of the earliest of many commercial buildings erected by the Mill Dam Company, which developed Concord’s downtown starting in 1826. The building was surveyed by Henry David Thoreau in 1853. It was occupied by various businesses in the nineteenth century, including a hatter’s shop, a watch shop, a milliner, and eventually a succession of grocery stores. Lars Anderson and his son Leslie bought the business in 1913, establishing Anderson’s Market. Leslie married Esther Wheeler in 1920 and their son, David “Andy” Anderson, would become the third generation to run the market. In 1930 the building‘s facade was remodeled by architect Harry Britton Little. The market remained in business until 1978. The building is now owned by the fourth generation of the family, David Anderson and his wife Karen, who operate Main Streets Market & Cafe.

Capt. Samuel Somes House (1796)

by Dan/April 2, 2020/Federal, Gloucester, Houses

The house at 29-31 Pleasant Street in Gloucester was built in 1796 for Abigail, the widow of Capt. Samuel Somes. They had a son who was also Capt. Samuel Somes. There is some confusion between different sources about who built the house. It is associated in the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System with local housewright Col. Jacob Smith, originally from Ipswich, who also designed the Capt. Elias Davis House, which is located just across Federal Street and is part of the Cape Ann Museum. The Museum’s website says that the Somes House was a copy of the Davis House and was designed by Jacob Smith’s younger brother. Both brothers, Jacob and John Smith, designed houses for Gloucester ship owners and merchants, as well as a number of churches in the area. The “Images of America” series book on Gloucester and Rockport says (on page 25) that John designed the Somes House and then Jacob added modified corner coins to the Davis House “in an act of one-upsmanship” that prompted dissension between them.

Jesse Wilson House (1810)

by Dan/February 28, 2020/Federal, Gloucester, Houses

According to the historic marker on the side of the house at 3 Granite Street in Gloucester, it was built c. 1810 and was the home of Jesse Wilson, a housewright. He was also a fireman and a visitor of the Universalist Church. Comparing an image of the house from c. 1969 with its appearance today, it is clear the house has been extensively remodeled and expanded in recent years.

Samuel Gilbert House (1750)

by Dan/February 21, 2020/Federal, Gloucester, Houses

The house at the corner of Angle Street and 1 Western Avenue in Gloucester was built in 1750 by Nathaniel Ellery. In the 1780s it became the home of Samuel Gilbert (1782-1860), a wealthy merchant, and was raised to three stories early in the nineteenth century. After his death, the house was occupied by his widow, his second wife Mary Hayes Gilbert, who died in 1887 at the age of 101, and by his son, Addison Gilbert (1808-1888). A merchant, banker, and civic leader, Addison Gilbert had no children. Upon his death, he left $100,000 to build the Addison Gilbert Hospital, which opened in 1897. He also left $75,000 to convert his home into the Addison Gilbert Home for the Aged. In 1981, the trustees of the Gilbert estate sold the house to the law firm that is now known as Orlando & Associates.

Puritan House (1810)

by Dan/January 22, 2020/Federal, Gloucester, Hotels

The oldest brick building in the town of Gloucester is a former hotel at 1-3 Washington Street and 2 Main Street that was built in 1810. It was constructed by Col. James Tappan, a New Hampshire schoolteacher who once taught Daniel Webster. An addition in 1840 doubled the size of the building. As related in The Gloucester Book (1921), by Frank Lucius Cox, “It has been known successively as the Tappan Hotel, Gloucester House, Mason House and Puritan House, but during recent years it has not been used as a hotel. During the middle of the nineteenth century all the important social functions of the town were held at this hotel.” Winslow Homer stayed at the hotel in 1873. Today it has a sign put up in 1978 that says “Blackburn Tavern” for a former restaurant located in the building. Currently Tono Restaurant occupies the building on the Main Street side, while GAP Promo is on the Washington Street side.

First Congregational Church of Stockbridge (1824)

by Dan/January 10, 2016January 10, 2016/Churches, Federal, Stockbridge

At 4 Main Street in Stockbridge is the the First Congregational Church, built in 1824. The church began in 1734 with John Sergeant‘s mission to the Mahican people of the Berkshire Hills. The first church building, erected in 1739, stood where the Chime Tower is today. The second church building, built in 1785, stood at the foot of Old Meeting House Road. The current brick church was restructured in 1865 to accommodate a Johnson Organ.

Sylvester Graham House (1800)

by Dan/January 8, 2016January 8, 2016/Federal, Houses, Northampton, Second Empire

The house at 111 Pleasant Street in Northampton was built around 1800. In 1836 it was purchased by Sylvester Graham, who lived there until his death in 1851. Sylvester Graham was a dietary reformer and temperance advocate who emphasized vegetarianism and baking a type of bread made with unbolted wheat flour, known as Graham Flour. The Graham Cracker is also named for him. The house‘s original gable roof was later replaced with a mansard roof.