The Captain Hadley House in Marion at the corner of Route 6 and Front Street has now been preserved forever, thanks to the Sippican Historical Society. The initiative to save historic properties has been a long-term goal for the Sippican Historical Society. Some past properties that were preserved (and renovated) by the Society include the Marion Post Office, the Sippican Historical Society building, the former Browne’s Drug Store (now Dean Ross) and the Band Stand.
A sale of the Captain Hadley House occurred on March 18, 2016, wherein Sky Development Ltd. (owned by Mike and Kate Sudofsky) purchased the Captain Hadley House with deed restrictions placed in the deed and paid for by the SHS Preservation Fund and the Croll Foundation. The deed restrictions require any owner of the Captain Hadley House to preserve the exterior of the CHH building without changes or alterations. In addition, the building can never be moved, and if it is destroyed by fire or by other means, the owner and any future owner is required to rebuild the building in the same architectural style.
The Preservation Fund at the Society was formed and endowed by benefactors including the late Jim Weinberg and Chuck Arms. It is this restricted preservation fund that is being used to assist in preserving the Captain Hadley House in perpetuity. According to Frank McNamee, the president of SHS, it was Judith Rosbe, former president of SHS and now treasurer, who spearheaded this purchase and brought all the participating parties to the table. Doug Munro, co-owner of the Hadley House and a Marion resident, also played a big part in making it happen. He and his late mother, Marge, who was an owner, wanted the building to remain a historic landmark and it was Doug’s cooperation in this matter that made the whole thing work.
The SHS believes that the Captain Hadley House could very well be one of the most significant historic buildings in the Town of Marion and a focal point for people coming into town. The stylish and substantial Italianate building was built in 1846 for Captain Stephen Hadley, who resided there until at least 1880. Arctic explorer Adolphus Greeley and his family rented the house and invited Frances Cleveland to visit during the last year of her husband’s first term as President. She persuaded her husband to come back to Marion for the next four summers, and the notice that visits like theirs drew helped to spread Marion’s allure to the rest of the country.