The Nathan Appleton Residence, also known as the Appleton-Parker House, is a historic house located at 39–40

Beacon Street Beacon Street is a major east–west street in Boston, Massachusetts, and its western suburbs of Brookline, Massachusetts, Brookline and Newton, Massachusetts, Newton. It passes through many of Boston's central and western neighborhoods, includ ...

in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. It was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

for its association with revolutionary textile manufacturer

Nathan Appleton Nathan Appleton (October 6, 1779July 14, 1861) was an American merchant and politician and a member of the group of entrepreneurs known as "The Boston Associates". Early life Appleton was born in New Ipswich, New Hampshire, New Ipswich, New Ham ...

(1779–1861), and as the site in 1843 of the wedding of his daughter Frances and poet

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include the poems " Paul Revere's Ride", '' The Song of Hiawatha'', and '' Evangeline''. He was the first American to comp ...

. The house is an excellent early 19th century design of

Alexander Parris Alexander Parris (November 24, 1780 – June 16, 1852) was a prominent American architect-engineer. Beginning as a housewright, he evolved into an architect whose work transitioned from Federal style architecture to the later Greek Revival. Parri ...

Description

This pair of brick townhouses rise three stories, and are joined by a common firewall. When built in 1821, they were essentially mirror images of each other, differing in only relatively minor interior respects. Their main facades are each three bays wide, with the outer bay a rounded projection with two windows. The door to each unit occupied the center bay and is framed by a wooden surround and topped by a fanlight; a Doric portico provides shelter. At the top of each building a low balustrade conceals a low-pitched roof. In the 1870s a fourth floor was added; the original balustrades were retained. The rounded bays of number 39 were altered in the 1880s by the addition of a third window on each level, and what were originally single-story servant wings in the rear of each unit were extended and raised to three stories by later owners.

History

The property here had been owned by painter

John Singleton Copley John Singleton Copley (July 3, 1738 – September 9, 1815) was an Anglo-American painter, active in both colonial America and England. He was believed to be born in Boston, Province of Massachusetts Bay, to Richard and Mary Singleton Copley ...

and much of the land had been purchased by Dr. John Joy, who headed a real estate company. In 1819,

and business partner

Daniel Pinckney Parker Daniel Pinckney Parker (August 30, 1781 – August 31, 1850) was an American merchant, shipbuilder, and businessman in 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts. Biography Daniel Pinckney Parker was born on August 30, 1781, in Southborough, Massachuse ...

bought a house that had been standing on the property and tore it down. They then had the twin house built, designed by architect

and numbered 39 and 40 Beacon Street. In 1843 Appleton's daughter Frances (Fanny) was married in this house to poet

.Calhoun, Charles C. ''Longfellow: A Rediscovered Life''. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004: 165. . Appleton was one of the great financial minds behind the early industrialization of New England, funding the

Boston Manufacturing Company The Boston Manufacturing Company was a business that operated one of the first factories in America. It was organized in 1813 by Francis Cabot Lowell, a wealthy Boston merchant, in partnership with a group of investors later known as The Bosto ...

and developing a strategy for selling its products. He parlayed this early success into the later development of major industrial complexes at Lowell and

Lawrence, Massachusetts Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen, Massachusetts, Methuen ...

, and also

Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is the List of municipalities in New Hampshire, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Located on the banks of the Merrimack River, it had a population of 115,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Manches ...

. Appleton lived at 39 Beacon Street from 1821 until his death in 1861. From 1914 to the 1990s it housed the

Women's City Club of Boston The Women's City Club of Boston was a social and civic organization founded in 1913 and known for relief efforts following urban fires and other disasters. The Club supported charitable causes, mutual aid efforts, and public education. When the U ...

. It has since been subdivided into condominiums. It was designated a

in 1977, and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Appleton Residence National Historic Landmarks in Boston Houses completed in 1821 Historic district contributing properties in Massachusetts Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Suffolk County, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Boston

Description

History

See also

References