43-47 Merrimac Street

History

This brick building was clearly influenced by the Federal style popular during the early nineteenth century. The building is three stories in height with a pitched roof. The facade is seven bays in width. The storefronts on the ground floor have been altered and presently date from the twentieth century.

One exceptional feature of this building is the firewall at each end that extends above the roofline. This may be due to the influence of stricter building practices, enforced after the Great Fire of 1811, which decimated the commercial district.

This building appears to date to the early 19th century, approximately 1820, based on its Federal-style detailing. According to a recent owner, it was built about 1829 for Moses Brown, who lived on Brown Square, now the site of the Garrison Inn. Brown’s connection to this property has not been verified.

The earliest known owner of this building is Charles R. Sargent, who had a machine shop here on the 1851 map. Sargent lived at 45 Merrimac while his shop was located at 43 Merrimac. Sargent was a machinist, gunsmith, gasfitter, and the sealer of weights. Charles R. Sargent died in 1883, and the business was continued under the supervision of Charles H. and Samuel E. Sargent.

Later owners included Samuel Brown, who later willed the property to Abby Brown. The 1884 map lists the property owner as the Heirs of the S. Brown estate. In 1894, there was a fruit store located at 45 Merrimack Street and a saloon at 47 Merrimack Street. By 1906, the building was occupied by a fruit store and a confectionery with an ice cream factory located in the single-story addition to the rear. The property was acquired by John Canepa in 1910, and it remained in the family until 1965. According to a recent owner, under the bronze plaque on the front of the building, there is a granite block inscribed with “Canepa” and “1910.” The fruit store at 43 Merrimac Street was operated by Giovanni (John) Canepa into the 1950s. At the same time, the other half was occupied by a liquor store, owned by the Canepa Brothers and still in business in the 1960s. The building was gutted and rehabilitated by Facility Concepts Corporation in 1998.