The John Cabot House is a
historic house
A historic house generally meets several criteria before being listed by an official body as "historic." Generally the building is at least a certain age, depending on the rules for the individual list. A second factor is that the building be in ...
at 117 Cabot Street in downtown
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, and a suburb of Boston. The population was 42,670 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. A resort, residential, and manufacturing community on the Massachusetts North Shore, Beverly incl ...
. Built in 1781 by a prominent local businessman and ship owner, it was the town's first brick mansion house. It is now owned by Historic Beverly and open to the public five days a week. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1975.
Description
The John Cabot House is located in Beverly's downtown business district, on the east side of Cabot Street (its major thoroughfare) between Central Street and Franklin Place. It is a three-story timber-framed structure, its exterior clad in red brick and capped by a truncated hip roof. The main facade is five bays wide, with windows set in rectangular openings with splayed soldier brick headers. Projecting brick courses separate the floors, and the third-floor windows are smaller in height, and butt against the elaborate dentillated roof cornice. The main entrance projects slightly in a surround that includes sidelight windows, pilasters, and a corniced entablature. The interior has a typical central stair plan, and retains most of its original woodwork, which is in a heavy late Georgian style.
History
The house was built in 1781, and was the first brick mansion in Beverly.
It was built for shipowner and privateer
Capt. John Cabot (b. 1745 in
Salem
Salem may refer to: Places
Canada
Ontario
* Bruce County
** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie
** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce
* Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...
to Joseph Cabot and Elizabeth Higginson).
Cabot was prominent in the town's economy, having also cofounded the
Beverly Cotton Manufactory
Beverly Cotton Manufactory was the first cotton mill built in America, and the largest cotton mill to be built during its era. It was built hoping for economic success, but reached a downturn due to technical limitations of the then early produ ...
, America's first cotton mill.
In 1802, the house became the first office of the Beverly Bank,
[ the tenth oldest bank in America, with Capt. John Cabot serving as one of seven original directors. At that time, it was extended to the rear by a two-story wood-frame addition.][
In addition to period rooms, the John Cabot House features maritime, military, and children's exhibits as well as major changing exhibits. Historic Beverly's research facilities are also located here.
]
See also
*John Balch House
The John Balch House, located at 448 Cabot Street, Beverly, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest wood-frame houses in the United States. It is now operated as one of the historic house museums of Historic Beverly, and open seasonally.
History
...
, another Beverly Historical Society property
*
References
External links
Historic Beverly
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Cabot family
Houses completed in 1781
Historic house museums in Massachusetts
Museums in Essex County, Massachusetts
Houses in Beverly, Massachusetts
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Essex County, Massachusetts
Historic district contributing properties in Massachusetts