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.
The home at 325 Front Street may date to the early 18th century. Its lean-to profile suggests that it is one of the earlier dwellings in the Old Landing area. The earliest identifiable owner is A.M. Bassett, who owned this house in 1855. By 1879, Mary Penniman lived here. By 1903, William R. Gifford – the owner of Gifford’s Livery Stable across from the depot at Front and Spring Streets – lived here. His widow, Adele, lived here until at least the mid-1920s.
