- Built
- c. 1806
- Style
- Federal Federal
- Neighborhood
- High Street District
- MACRIS
- NWB.2872 ↗
History
“... once Secretary of State in Massachusetts, and a partner in the mercantile firm of Coffin & Otis. Their store was at the bottom of Summer Street in the building now occupied by Pearson the baker. In person Mr. Otis was well formed, was well dressed, and lived well.
His steel gray suit, knee breeches, buckled shoes, powdered hair and gold-headed cane made a pleasant picture. When I was ten years old he seemed to me as men of eighty now seem. When I came unexpectedly upon his grave stone in St. Paul’s churchyard, and read that Samuel Allen Otis died in 1814, aged 44, I was much astonished.” **
Planning work on this building?
Reviews that may apply
Newburyport Historic District (National Register, listed 1984) · Demolition Control Overlay District (DCOD) · Parcel 37-4 · Zone HSRB
Zoning Board of Appeals may decide
In the DCOD. Whether removing more than 25% of the exterior walls needs a DCOD special permit depends on the building’s status in the 1984 National Register nomination, which this site has not matched for this lot yet; the Office of Planning and Development keeps the list.
Newburyport Historical Commission decides whether to impose a delay
Built c. 1806, so 75 or more years old: removing more than 25% of its exterior walls, changing the roofline (pitch, towers, cupolas, anything projecting above the roof), moving it, or adding a dormer that misses the setback and pitch rules is "demolition" under the demolition delay ordinance. The Commission holds a hearing within 30 days and may impose a delay of up to 18 months. Parts of the building documented as younger than 75 years are excluded on a written determination by the Zoning Administrator.
Code of Ordinances ch. 5 art. X, §§5-307–5-308 (June 2026) ↗
Zoning Administrator first stop
Every project starts with a zoning determination from the Zoning Administrator, which says which of these reviews apply and whether the work also needs zoning relief (a special permit for a non-conformity, or a variance). Fees, forms and filing deadlines are on the City’s site.
Not legal advice, not an official City publication, and not the position of the Historical Commission or any board. Says what the ordinances say as of September 30, 2026; the Zoning Administrator decides what applies. Boundaries: Merrimack Valley Planning Commission / City of Newburyport GIS (MIMAP); 1984 status from the National Register nomination's district data sheets. City's quick guide to the DCOD and demolition delay ↗ · Do I need approval? Project by project →
More photos
3 views · Biff Bouse
Details
2 close-ups
From the archive
4 items · maps, papers, old photographs
More built 1775–1830
Sources
- Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, NWB.2872
- ** “Of the Olden Time” Newburyport Daily Herald, November 22, 1886, p. 3.
- Find a Grave, memorial page for Samuel Allyne Otis (1770–27 Oct 1814), ID 118175741.