Pierce, Peter, Store

The Peter Peirce Store is located on the corner of North Main and Jackson Streets in the center of Middleborough. There are few buildings of this period remaining on Main Street, which is the major commercial street in town and contains a few late nineteenth century and many twentieth century buildings. The store is more monumental than other buildings on that section of Main Street, but does not overwhe1m the streetscape in massing or height. The construction date of the building has not been conclusively proven but appears, by stylistic evidence, to have been c. 1825-30. The building is composed of a large two-story rectangular structure, gable end to the street, flanked by two smaller, one and one-half story wings with ridge roofs perpen- dicular to the main block.

The gable end of the center part of the building has a monumental two-story tetrastyle portico with Greek Doric columns. The pediment above the portico contains a segmental fanlight. The center door under the portico is reached by two granite steps, and is flanked by slender fluted pilasters and topped by a plain entablature. A wash drawing executed about 1840 shows the main portion of the building just as it is today- The left wing, however, is portrayed as having two windows flanking a center door, while the right wing is shown as a stables with three wide segmental arched open- ings.

When the building was acquired by the town in 1935, the left wing was changed so that four windows flanked the doorway, which remained the same; the right wing was altered into a mirror image of the left wing. Great care was taken in this alteration, and the new windows, 6/6 with a cornice, match the original windows in the main block.

/ARCHITECT STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The 'Peter Peirce Store, a significant architectural focal point in Middleborough, has great historical significance in the development of the community because of its close association with Peter Peirce, a central figure in nineteenth century Middleborough. The Store has retained its integrity of location and design, and is one of the few original commercial buildings still standing in the community.e: Peter Hoar Peirce, who lived from 1788 to 1861, was a leading figure in Middleborough society. By 1810 Peirce was operating a store on the site of the present building but left to fight in the War of 1812. After the war Peirce returned to Middleborough and became involved with many aspects of. life in the community.

His store was a large one, and by 1825-30 the present building was constructed to house all his retail func- tions. Records show that large numbers of customers came from outlying towns to shop at the Peirce store and that Peirce was constantly traveling to Boston to buy goods to keep his store well-stocked. Peirce was a money lender, owned a cotton mill and shovel works, and was elected to serve in the state legislature from 1826 to 1828. He was also a pioneer in bringing the railroad to Middleborough and was appointed from time to time to serve on a three member board of arbitration for the settlement of civil disputes. Because of his many financial interests, Peirce was a wealthy man and owned a great deal of land in Middleborough.

The store continued in operation as a retail store under the ownership of the Peirce family until 1901 when the last of Peter's sons, Thomas S. Peirce, died.