Sippican Historical Society

In 1998, the Sippican Historical Society commissioned an architectural survey of Marion’s historic homes and buildings. The survey was funded one-half by the Sippican Historical Society and one-half by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Due to the limits of funding, not all of the historic buildings were surveyed, but over 100 were catalogued 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 preview one building a week so that the residents of Marion can understand more about its unique historical architecture.

This installment features 5 Water Street. The Shingle-style home was built in 1894 for attorney Richard S. Dow, who owned this house until at least the late 1920s. His law office was located at 27 State Street in Boston. During the early 20th century, he resided in the Back Bay area at 295 Commonwealth Avenue. This house, along with the Austin home at 75 Water Street, suffered considerable damage during the hurricane of 1938. A Wareham Courier article dated September 27, 1938 noted that “the beautiful estates of Miss Edith Austin and of Richard S. Dow suffered unestimated damage when verandahs, boat houses and garages were demolished and the first floors of the main houses were wrecked.”

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