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.
The house at 34 Hermitage Road is situated where the Sippican Native Americans resided under the leadership of Chief Massasoit of the Wampanoag tribe. Nearby at Minister’s Rock was the first settlement in Marion (then called Sippican), established when 29 families of Pilgrims left Plymouth in 1678. This Cape Cod cottage dates from the mid-late 18th century and maybe that of Walter Turner, as shown on the 1855 Marion map. By the late 19th century, George Delano owned this house, and he named it the Hermitage. By 1903, it was owned by C.L. Delano. During the first visit of President and Mrs. Cleveland to Marion in 1887, George Delano offered the first family the use of his beach because of its privacy and splendid views of Sippican Harbor.
