Old Ship Street Historic District

The Old Ship Street Historic District, Medford, contains 38 houses situated on approximately seven acres of land near the Mystic River and close to the site of Medford's old ship building industry. The houses are related historically and architecturally and are distinct from their more modern surroundings. Seven of the buildings were constructedbetween 1828 and 1844, twenty four between 1844 and 1855, and five between 1856 and the turn of the century. There are two modern houses, compatible in mass and height with their neighboring houses, included in the district.

The Judah Loring Double House (1), builtc.1845, and the Henry Ewell House (2), built in 1844, are good examples of 22 story clapboard, gable end to the street, Greek Revival Houses typical of the area- Porches supported by Doric columns, wide cornerboards and plain entablature add to the simple dignity of these houses. The Foster Waterman House (3) built c. 1845, is simpler than the Ewell House on one side of it and the Japhet Sherman House (4), c. 1845, on the other side. It does have, however,a recessed, pedimented entrance with pilasters. The Sherman House (4), is similar to the Ewell House but has lost its shutters and porch balustrade.

Cudworth Cottage (6), at the corner of Riverside Avenue and Pleasant Street, was built later than the other cottages in the area (c.1889) and while it is compatible in scale with the Greek Revival buildings, it does not have the same detailing. The other houses on the west side of Pleasant Street (7-13) are all l2 or story simple Greek Revival cottages, with front porches. The scale of the streetscape is - and the gables facing front afford visual cohesiveness. on the street but are compatible in form. The Alvah Cotton Cottage (11), built c.

/ARCHITECT STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Old Ship Street Historic District, containing 38 properties, is closely associated with the ship building and shipyards which were Medford's major industry in the 19th century. In 1802 Thatcher Magoun established the first full time shipyard in Medford, at the southeast comer of the Old Ship Street district, and between that time and 1873, when the last shipyard closed down, 567 vessels (totaling 274,124 tons) were produced. The Old Ship Street area developed simultaneousl; with the ship building industry, both showing the greatest amount of growth between 1844 and 1855.

Most of the buildings in the district are examples of small Greek Revival houses and cottages and the area stands apart from its surroundings as a separate and unique cohesive whole. Robert Ells, ship joiner, was the first developer of the area. In 1828 he bought land on the west side of Park Street (then referred to as a "New Way leading to Magoun's ship building yards"). After the purchase of additional land from Thatcher Magoun in 1832, it is believed that Ells built five houses in the district. (33,35,36,37,38) . All of these houses are still standing, and one of them, the Robert Ells House (33) is Medford's most developed example of a Federal hip roof building.

The Rogers House (5) on Riverside Avenue also dates from this period, but was constructed independently from the Park Street houses. Starting in 1844, the rest of the area was developed by Oakman Joyce, housewright. The first lot was sold to Henry Ewell (2) at 158 Riverside Avenue. -Lots were sold quickly after that, almost exclusively to small shipyard owners and craftsmen related to the industry. The earliest known owners include six ship builders, five ship carpenters, two housewrights, two blacksmiths, and two ship joiners and finishers.