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. In 1998, the Sippican Historical Society commissioned an architectural survey of Marion’s historic homes and buildings. Over 100 were cataloged and photographed. SHS will feature one building a week so that the residents of Marion can understand more about its unique historical architecture.
This week we feature 46 Water Street. The house at 46 Water Street evolved from an early 19th-century dwelling owned by the salt industry entrepreneur Ebenezer Holmes (1783-1869). In 1870, this home was inherited by one of Ebenezer Holmes’s daughters, Mary, the wife of George W. Kelley. The property was purchased in 1892 as a summer home by Henry R. Reed of Boston. Reed added a large Shingle-style addition to the front, and, to the rear, a barn-stable that was designed by the Boston architect James Kelley. This house was a summer residence of President Grover Cleveland and his wife, Frances Folsom Cleveland. The president especially enjoyed fishing in Buzzards Bay. They both became so enamored of the town that they named one of their daughters Marion.
