Area I Fo:m no. FORMB - BUILDING Al13

MASSACHUSETTSHISTORICAT COMMTSSION 294 Washinglon Street, Boston, l'tA 02108

Newburyport 75 High Street Ebenezer Stocker- ric Nse Wi11i4m l,lheelw.ig .

Original Residence

Present Home for Aqed WoIBen

hip:I Private individual Private organi eation werlrburyport eA biomen Public

0riginal owner Ebenezer Stqcker

IPTION:

cross streets and other buildings Date c. L797 or geographical features. gsunss Historic American B1dg. Survey Indicate north.

Style Federal

t f- Architect $ {J tJ U $r !/ Exterior wa11 fabric Clapboards ry ,/)-h. 0utbuildirlgs hntt.o, L J Rarn r lrrtm' gnE'lotl t 5 q house 'lJ doorway ,u ,\J Major alterations (with dates) altered and front porch added (c.1850)

Hto* srAeef addition at rear (c.1886). TI Moved Date Approx. acreage 1.09 acres

RecordedbY uary .rane sti- Setting onNewb@

Organizatto" ''ffice of Community architecture Date B-4-80 examples of domestic dating from the Colonial peri-od through the early 20th centurY. (Staple additional sheets here)

-, -..-..-- Area I Fo:m no. FORMB . BUILDING Al13

MASSACHUSETTSHISTORICAT COMMISSION 294 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108

Newburyport 75 High Street Ebenezer Stocker- ric Nme William I']heelw.ig .

Original Residence

Present Home for Aqed Wo$et "

hip:I Private individual Private organi eation uerfburyport. eA Iaiomen Public

Original owner Ebenezer Stocker

IPTION:

cross streets and other buildings Date c. L797 or geographical features. Histolic Amerj-can Bldg;flgrvey Indicate north. Source

Style Federal

L f- Architect I {J U U $l t/ Exterior wa11 fabric Clapboards ry \t)"h. 0utbuildiilgs hnt't.o, L J Rarn r lrrrmlr gnE.lon t 6 q house {,

! .\, (with dates; doorway ,v \ Major alterations altered and front porch added (c.1850)

H tO* rear (c.1886). "rAeef addition at TI Moved Date Qq@- Approx. acreage 1.09 acres - RecordedbY Uari ,rane stl Setting onNewb@

0rganizatlo" ''ffice of Community architecture Date 8-4-80 examples of domestic datingr from the Colonial peri-od through the early 20th centurY. (Staple addi-tional sheets here)

-,

.-..F... features and ARCHITECTURA,LSIGNIFICANCE (describe irnportant architectural evaluate in terns of other buildings within conmunity) 1-r9u3es"which This house j-s an exquisite example of the "sguare years of the 19th century' were nuirt along nigh stieet in the early with hipped roof and The house is Federal in-style, of three itories smallsquarewindowsinth.et'hirdstory.ngtaplearchitecturalfeatures Palladian window over include the beautirurry a"t.ir"a corniie and the porch and doorway are an the original doorway. The fine Greek Revival wgre- probably made when add.ition to the original structure. These changes thehousechangearrandsinls4l.Thehouseoriginallyhadagreenhouse whichwasdestroyedwhenthebarnwasmovedfurtherfromthehouse.The (cont. ) played in loca1 or state history HISTORICALSIGNIFICANCE (explain the role owners and how the building relates to the development of the couununity) from the widow Ebenezer stocker purchased this parcel of land 'H. the other half of oorcas N;t;; in L7g7. boilt this ilouse and sold prominent merchant and the land to Ebenezer wheelwright. stocker was a shipowner.HehadabusinessonTerryWharfandownedseveralvessels in 1787' including the Brig'Annl built in*18001 the Brig'Mary",-built L789 respectively' and the ships'colunbu=;""J;F"ace-built in 1800 and provided for.the He was one of-.fr. serzerar Newburyport citizens that This ship was building--of snip;ttlerrimall" of 350 tons in 1798. given to the U. S. Government' society' stocker was a member or director of the Marine Fire Insurance company' the Merrimack Human society, the Newburyport Yarine Bank. Between 1789 aitb ra00 he was a partner with and the Merrimack in william Farrisrunder the firm name of Farris and stockerr-involved in I795' mercantile puriuits. Stocker served as a selectman other house was sold to rsaac Adams in 1808 and had several The william before it was sord to william wheelwright in 1841. owners Wheelwright I^Jheelwrj-cht is one cf Newburypo::t' s rnosi famous cj-tizens " the::e" He took was born rn Newnuryoo::'r*anO attenCeci public-schools v'lest rndies at the to the sea as a cabrn boy on a vessei headed to the In lB23 he was captain gf Empire" ( ase of sixteen. :l:-"t:="1--*i::i? united " was wrecked off South amerl-ca. rn 1825, he was appointed when it the Pacific ( at Guiyaquil, then the most important port on '\ States counsul eoast.

Wheelwrightlaterfoundedabusinessthere.Hethenmovedto ( cont. )

BIBLIOGMPHYand/or-o1'd REFERENCES "-"A. -Hdf;, llewUurypo{'! Hoqesq, Boston, L9L2' a" =* F-Fe6ffiF-i690-- f96-0-- Historic" "oi' American Building Survey ileritage of the Merrimack, New York, L94L- J.M. Howells, The archite6tulg! reprint, r.r. currieil ffit@po;E-iroa:tgT'-:,-ffi8;-T-and rr, NewburYPort L977. 20\4-2/80 IN\TENTORY FORM CONTINUATIONSHEET ty: I FormNo: I"IASSAGII.JSETTSHISTORI CAt CCllfi SSI CT't Newburyport I f: Office of t}e Secretary, Boston rty Nare. Ebenezer Stocker- Hse. 75 High Street Indicate eadr item on inventory fonn whidr is being continued belcri.

ARCHITECTURALSIGNIFICANCE (CONT]NUED)

new wing built after that time obscurred part of the original formal gard,en. The garden was designed by Henry V. Ward and planted by a gardener named Armstrong. The gardens were exceptional and were documented by HABS in 1936. The garden house and pump house d.ating from the early 19th century sti11 exist in their original locations.

IIISTORICAL S]GNIFICANCE (CONTINUED)

Chile and devoted his t,ime and energy to the development of loca1 industrj-es, including the organization of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company and the establishment of a line of steamers to and from the fsthmus of Panama connecting wi-th Europe" Years of his work led to the organizatj-on of the Grand Central Argentine Railway Company and the construction of a road between Rosario to Cordova, Central , a distance of over two hundred and forty miles. He later organized the Ensenada Railway Company. Because of his work 1n , Wheelwright is considered a national hero in Chi1e. His statue stands in ValparaisorChile's third largest city.

At the time of his death, in 1873, part of his estate was placed in the hands of trustees for use by "Protestant young men in the city of Newburyport ...in obtaining a sci-entific education" Since that time over fifteen hundred young men have benefited from this endowment.

The house at 75 High Street stayed in the Wheelwright family until 1886 when it was left by Martha Gerrj-sh Wheelwright. to the Socj-ety for the Relief of Aged Women. This organization continues to own and occupy the buildinq.