201 High Street

History

Architecturally, the Jackson-Dexter House is one of the most interesting and significant in the City of Newburyport. The house is three stories tall, with a hipped roof and small square windows on the uppermost floor. The house has quoins, and the entrance portico is supported by rusticated columns. The door itself is flanked by sidelights and is surmounted by an ample oblong transom light. The building’s cornice is made up of modillions.

The house was elaborate as originally built. Several elements, it is assumed, were added during the ownership of the eccentric Lord Timothy Dexter. Dexter ornamented the property with statues of famous individuals. The cupola was also added by Dexter. It is exceptionally well proportioned with arched windows, a dome, and a Doric cornice of triglyphs and metopes. Originally, this dormer was surmounted by an eagle statue. The barn or coach house at the rear of the property is quite elaborate. It is presently being converted for residential use.

The Jackson-Dexter House was built in 1771 by Jonathan Jackson. He was born in Boston, the son of a prosperous merchant, and graduated from Harvard College in 1761. Jackson moved to Newburyport shortly thereafter and served as a clerk for Patrick Tracy. In 1765, Jackson formed a partnership with John Bromfield. They specialized in importing British goods. Jackson married Patrick Tracy’s daughter, Hannah. In 1774, he established a major mercantile house with his brothers-in-law John and Nathaniel. Jackson was a member of the Committee of Public Safety at the beginning of the Revolutionary War and, in 1781 and 1782, was a representative to the Continental Congress. Jackson was a leading citizen in Newburyport. He served on numerous committees and took a firm stand against British policies.

His firm, Jackson, Tracy, and Tivey, did very well before the Revolution. They fitted out several privateers during the War and suffered heavy losses. Unable to re-establish himself after the War, Jackson sold his house in 1795 and moved to Boston. He regained success, becoming the president of the Boston Bank in 1806 and treasurer of Harvard in 1807. In 1795, Capt. Thomas Thomas was the new proprietor of the Jackson House. Thomas also had active commercial interests. He was in command of one of the vessels that sailed from Newburyport in 1799 to attack the British posts along the Penobscot River. Thomas died shortly after acquiring the Jackson House. In 1798, the property was sold to Timothy Dexter.

Timothy Dexter was one of Newburyport’s most famous and certainly most eccentric characters. Dexter was born in Maiden and moved to Newburyport in 1769. He was a leather dresser by trade. Dexter invested heavily in depreciated currency after the Revolutionary War and became quite wealthy when the government redeemed it at par value. In 1791, Dexter purchased the Tracy Mansion, now the Public Library. By the time Timothy Dexter moved into the Jackson House, he was a man of substantial wealth. He was also a man of significant eccentricities. He adorned the house's façade with pedestals and statues of famous men, supposedly carved by Joseph Wilson of Strong Street, Newburyport. His own statue bore the inscription: “I am the first in the East, the first in the West, and the greatest philosopher in the known world.”

He gave himself the title of Lord. In 1793, Dexter was one of the five wealthiest men in Newburyport. Several of the antics for which Dexter is noted were the staging of a mock funeral to observe the grief his death would, or would not, cause, and the publication of his Pickle for the Knowing Ones. This was published in 1802 and was a mixture of sense and nonsense without punctuation. In the second edition, he added a page of punctuation marks stating, “they may salt and pepper as they please.” Dexter died in 1806, having made numerous public contributions.

His household goods and the statues from the house's grounds were sold in 1807. In 1808, Samuel Richardson opened the house to accommodate travelers. The house was used as an inn and boarding house by the Dexter heirs until 1852. In that year, the house was sold to Elbridge S. Kelley. Kelley was mayor of Newburyport in 1871 and 1872. In 1874, the house was again sold. The new proprietor was George H. Corliss of Providence, R.I. Corliss invented the Corliss steam engine.