History
This house is a fine example of the Federal style that proliferated in Newburyport in the early nineteenth century. Its form is typical: three stories with a hipped roof and decreasing window size on the upper floors. Although the details of the house are simple, they are elegant. The doorway has a lovely semi-circular fanlight. There are no sidelights flanking the door, but the doorway itself is pedimented with applied pilasters to each side.
Joseph Babson and his wife Sarah owned this house in 1830. On July 5, 1805, Benjamin Choate sold a lot of land on Tyng Street, then called New Street, to Joseph Babson, Jr. It is quite possible that this was the site of the house and that it was built shortly after that. Joseph Babson, Jr. was a member of the “Dernier Resort Fire Society,” and his residence was Tyng Street when the by-laws of that society were revised and printed in 1816.
Joseph Edward Babson, son of Joseph and Sarah Eliza Babson, was born on May 27, 1830, in this house on Tyng Street. In December 1849, he opened a bookstore at No. 6 Pleasant Street, near the corner of State Street. Although he deeply loved books and “drew habitual breath in an atmosphere of fine thought,” he lacked the experience needed for buying and selling. His stock was damaged by fire in 1853, forcing him to close his business in Newburyport and accept a clerkship in a bookstore in Boston. He moved to Chelsea to live with his widowed mother.
Babson wrote occasionally for the Boston Transcript under the signature “Tom Folio” and later became a frequent contributor to the Atlantic Monthly. He published several articles on Charles Lamb and other topics. Babson never married. After his mother died in 1866, he moved to Melrose a few years later, where he lived a quiet life. Although he was somewhat of a recluse, he was cheerful and content with his condition. He visited Boston occasionally to meet old friends and read old books, maintaining a few intimate acquaintances.
This house remained in the Babson family until the 1870s. The house was converted to a guest house in 1977.
Planning work on this building?
Reviews that may apply
Newburyport Historic District (National Register, listed 1984), contributing in the 1984 nomination · Demolition Control Overlay District (DCOD) · Parcel 57-26 · Zone R2
Zoning Board of Appeals decides
Listed as contributing in 1984, so removing more than 25% of its exterior walls, counted cumulatively since 2014 and including walls enclosed by an addition or openings filled in, needs a DCOD special permit; the Board may grant one only if the building retains no substantial remaining market value or reasonable use. The Historical Commission sends an advisory report. Replacing siding, or windows and doors in their openings, does not count.
Newburyport Historical Commission decides whether to impose a delay
Built c. 1805, 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. In the DCOD the wall test goes to the Zoning Board instead; the Commission keeps roofline, roof pitch and dormer work. 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
1 view · Biff Bouse
More built 1775–1830
Sources
- Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System - NWB.485
- History of Newburyport, Mass. 1764-1909, Volume 2. John J. Currier, 1909. p. 335-336.
- 1914 Sanborn map, sheet 7 (Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, Sanborn Maps Collection)