As you all likely know, February is Black History Month. You probably have also noticed that much of the history in these Historic Buildings of the Week fails to include that of Black people in Marblehead. But this is not because Black people did not exist in Marblehead, nor does it mean that Black people did not participate in the same history-making as any other … [Read more...] about Historic Building of the Week: The Alfred Irvin House
American Revolution
Historic Building of the Week: Old Gun House
Last week, I wrote about the building at 43 Elm St. This week’s building is not too far away. In fact, it is right next door. Standing at 45 Elm St. is a building that has gone by many names throughout the years: the Marblehead Artillery, the armory, and now, the Gun House. The Gun House has that name for a reason. A Sept. 24, 1808 letter requested a town meeting to … [Read more...] about Historic Building of the Week: Old Gun House
Historic Building of the Week: Samuel Tucker House
Samuel Tucker was born in 1747 at 70 Prospect St. So, who is he? Tucker, in regular Marblehead history fashion, was a Revolutionary War hero. According to a record from the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS), he got his first experience on the ocean in 1760. He worked as a cabin boy aboard a ship called the King George – ironic considering his … [Read more...] about Historic Building of the Week: Samuel Tucker House
Historic building of the week – The Powder House
When I hear the words “powder house,” my first thought is not Marblehead. My mind immediately goes to Powder House Square in Somerville, the home of, of course, the Old Powder House, built circa 1710. While it was originally a mill built by John Mallet, in 1947 it was deeded to the “Province of the Massachusetts Bay Colony of New England.” At this point, it became a … [Read more...] about Historic building of the week – The Powder House