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 2 West Drive. West Drive encompasses five lovely Shingle-style residences located on Sippican Harbor. Bearing evocative names such as Cedarholm, Merry Court, Stony Croft, and Hazelmere, this enclave’s residences are surrounded by rolling lawn dotted with rock outcroppings. To the rear of these houses are circular driveways and wooded areas. This area illustrates the popularity of the Shingle style used for the substantial summer residences in New England coastal communities during the 1880s and 1890s. The handsome Shingle-style cottage at 2 West Drive may be the oldest residence within the enclave. Built in 1893 for the Boston leather dealer, William M. Bullivant (188-1939), this home was designed by Charles Allerton Coolidge. In 1900, Bullivant founded the Northwestern Leather Company and served as its president until his retirement in 1921. Over time, Bullivant was able to acquire 450 acres of land at Great Neck, including the grounds of what is now the Marion Golf Club. The golf course and the gardens at this home were designed by George C. Thomas Jr. of Philadelphia, who summered on the Cape. A noted collector of art and rare books, Bullivant possessed one of the finest collections of etchings in the country. His library, though small, contained many rare books. For many years, he was a vestryman of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Marion. He also belonged to numerous Boston clubs, including the Algonquin and Exchange Clubs, the Club of Odd Volumes, and the Iconographic Society.
