Broad Street · No. 39 · NWB.416

39 Broad Street

Henry Payne House

Built 1860–1900National Register district

Built: c. 1866
Style: Italianate/Queen Anne Victorian Eclectic
MACRIS: NWB.416 ↗

History

The roof of this house was destroyed by fire in about 1890. This may account for the unusual combination of styles. The first-floor surface is of horizontal rusticated boards. The entablatures over the windows are elements reminiscent of the Roman-Tuscan mode of the Renaissance Revival.

The porches are reminiscent of the Northern Italian Renaissance Revival style. They have the characteristic arched openings, sculptured ornament, and layered appearance of this style.

The upper stories were extensively altered after the 1890 fire. The second-story windows are more expensive and do not have the full-length center mullions of the first-story windows. The clapboarded walls are in sharp contrast to the rusticated boards below. There are also some vertical overlay boards at the building corners, which are elements of the stick style.

The polygonal roof tower has a Neoclassical appearance. The pediment over the front window, the modillioned cornice molding, and the high balustrade on the roof are all neoclassical.

This elaborate house was built in 1866 by Deacon Henry Payne. It represents the new wealth in Newburyport created by expanding industries, particularly the textile mills. In 1872, it was owned by Captain Joseph Hoyt, master of the ships “William Hales” and “Warren Ordway.” Albert P. Sawyer owned it in 1884. He was a trustee of the Anna Jaques Hospital.

Planning work on this building?

Reviews that may apply

Newburyport Historic District (National Register, listed 1984) · Demolition Control Overlay District (DCOD) · Parcel 53-11-A/E · Zone R2

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.
Zoning Ordinance §XXVIII-D.3 ↗
Newburyport Historical Commission decides whether to impose a delay
Built c. 1866, 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.
City flowchart, June 2026 ↗

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 →