19-23 Pleasant Street

History

This is an excellent example of a 19th-century factory in the Italianate style. The corralled brick cornice, Italianate window lintels with keystones, and projecting brick belt courses are all notable architectural features. The building originally had a flat roof, which was altered shortly after its construction.

The engine house and chimney at the rear of the main factory were built in 1880. This is one of the few surviving shoe factories in Newburyport.

Elisha P. Dodge carried on the business of shoemaking in Newburyport under several partnerships and firm names beginning in 1866. In 1873, he erected an impressive brick factory with Italianate details on Pleasant Street. In 1875, under the firm name of E.P. Dodge and Sherrill, he enlarged both his business and his factory. The building was, at that time, extended in the rear as far as Prince Place. In 1880, further additions were made to the building, as is evidenced by the boiler and engine house with a tall chimney bearing the date 1880. It is possible that the fifth floor and mansard roof were also added at this time. As constructed initially, the Puritan Building had four stories and a flat roof.

Elisha P. Dodge was a prominent citizen of Newburyport. He served as mayor 1890-1891, and under his direction, a system of macadamized roads was initiated. He was a benefactor of the Newburyport Public Library and an incorporator of the Anna Jaques Hospital. For years, Dodge’s business was the largest in Newburyport. This was attributed to his advances in techniques, such as the rapid adoption of the McKay stitching machine. He was also reputed to be the first to put the complete process of shoe manufacture under one roof. The Dodge building was occupied by the W.D. Hannah Shoe Company in the 1920s and 30’s. In 1955, the building was sold to the Prince Realty Corporation, which at that time occupied it by the Martin-Tickells Shoe Company. Today, the building is occupied by a mixture of commercial and light industrial uses.