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 310 Front Street. Built around the time of the Revolutionary War, the Capt. James Luce House at 310 Front Street is a relatively rare example of a “pure” Federal-style residence in Marion. By the early 1800s, Old Landing was included as a stop on a stagecoach route linking Wareham with Wharf Village. This house served travelers as a stopover and was known as the Norton Tavern. From the 1810s, until at least the first decade of the 20th century, this house was owned by Luces. Beginning in 1816, Captain James and Dolly Luce lived here, followed by Bessie D. Luce in the late 19th century and Henry C. Luce, a clerk, in the early 1900s.
