In 1998, the Sippican Historical Society commissioned an architectural survey of Marion’s historic homes and buildings. The survey was funded half by the Sippican Historical Society and half by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Due to the limits of funding, not all of the historic buildings were surveyed, but over 100 were cataloged and photographed. The results of the survey are in digital form on the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s website and in four binders in the Sippican Historical Society’s office (and at the Marion Town Clerk’s office).
Marion (Old Rochester) is one of the oldest towns in the United States, and the Sippican Historical Society maintains an extensive collection of documentation on its historic buildings. The Sippican Historical Society will feature one building a week so that the residents of Marion can understand more about its unique historical architecture.
This installment features 7 South Street. The homes on South Street have more ample lots and were built slightly later than those on Main Street. The clapboard house at 7 South Street was built in 1866 by Lemuel Kelley. Its style is a blend of Greek Revival and Italianate. The story is told that Lemuel Kelley hoped to marry Jane Luce, but she married a member of the Cobb family and lived across the street. Lemuel Kelley, therefore, never lived in this house. By 1879, W. Pomeroy owned this house. It was owned in the early 1900s by Miss C.A. Pomeroy.
