- Built
- c. 1887
- Style
- Victorian Victorian Eclectic
- Neighborhood
- South End District
- MACRIS
- NWB.305 ↗
History
This building is one of several engine houses built in Newburyport’s neighborhoods during the last decades of the nineteenth century.
The architectural features are simple, yet this two-story brick building with a jerkinhead roof (a combination of a gable and hip roof, with clipped peaks and partial gable walls) does have some elements inspired by the Richardsonian Romanesque style. These include the double-arched windows and rough granite trim in contrast to the brick wall surfaces.
This building was built in 1887 to replace the 1834 firehouse on Water Street at the foot of Federal Street. It was owned by the City of Newburyport and occupied by Engine No. 2. Engine No. 2 was built in 1867 by the Manchester Locomotive Works and rebuilt in 1906 by the International Power Company in Manchester, N.H.
When it was no longer used as a fire station, it was used by the highway and tree departments and as a polling place. In the early 1960s, the City decided to sell the property. For several years, it was owned by “Bossy” Gillis, the mayor of Newburyport and one of the CIty’s more interesting characters.
The building’s first residential improvements were made in 1968. In 1976, it was converted to a duplex.
Planning work on this building?
Reviews that may apply
Newburyport Historic District (National Register, listed 1984) · Demolition Control Overlay District (DCOD) · Parcel 18-73-A/B · 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.
Newburyport Historical Commission decides whether to impose a delay
Built c. 1887, 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.
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
From the archive
4 items · maps, papers, old photographs
More built 1860–1900
Sources
- Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System - NWB.305