John Cabot House
The John Cabot House is a historic house at 117 Cabot Street in downtown Beverly, Massachusetts. Built in 1781 by a prominent local businessman and ship owner, it was the town's first brick mansion house. It is now owned by Historic Beverly and open to the public five days a week. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[1]
John Cabot House | |
| Location | 117 Cabot Street Beverly, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°32′45″N 70°52′48″W / 42.54583°N 70.88000°W |
| Built | 1781 |
| Architectural style | Late Georgian/Early Federal |
| Part of | Beverly Center Business District (ID84002313) |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000246[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 16, 1975 |
| Designated CP | July 5, 1984 |
Description
The John Cabot House is located in Beverly's downtown business district, on the east side of Cabot Street (its major thoroughfare) between Central Street and Franklin Place. It is a three-story timber-framed structure, its exterior clad in red brick and capped by a truncated hip roof. The main facade is five bays wide, with windows set in rectangular openings with splayed soldier brick headers. Projecting brick courses separate the floors, and the third-floor windows are smaller in height, and butt against the elaborate dentillated roof cornice. The main entrance projects slightly in a surround that includes sidelight windows, pilasters, and a corniced entablature. The interior has a typical central stair plan, and retains most of its original woodwork, which is in a heavy late Georgian style.[2]
History
The house was built in 1781, and was the first brick mansion in Beverly.[3] It was built for shipowner and privateer Capt. John Cabot (b. 1745 in Salem to Joseph Cabot and Elizabeth Higginson).[4] Cabot was prominent in the town's economy, having also cofounded the Beverly Cotton Manufactory, America's first cotton mill.[5]
In 1802, the house became the first office of the Beverly Bank,[3] the tenth oldest bank in America, with Capt. John Cabot serving as one of seven original directors. At that time, it was extended to the rear by a two-story wood-frame addition.[2]
In addition to period rooms, the John Cabot House features maritime, military, and children's exhibits as well as major changing exhibits. Historic Beverly's research facilities are also located here.
See also
- John Balch House, another Beverly Historical Society property
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ a b "NRHP nomination and MACRIS inventory record for John Cabot House". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
- ^ a b "Houses: The John Cabot House". Beverly Historical Society. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- ^ Whipple, G.M. (1862). Historical collections of the Essex Institute, Volume IV. Essex Institute. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- ^ Paine, Sarah Cushing (1912). Paine Ancestry: The Family of Robert Treat Paine, Signer of the Declaration of Independence. David Clapp & Son. p. 206. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
External links
- Historic Beverly