96 High Street

History

This is one of the finest Federal homes on Newburyport’s High Street. It is a perfect example of the “square house” for which High Street is known. The house has the characteristic Federal form of three stories, a hipped roof, and small square windows in the third story.

Exceptional architectural features include the door with a semi-circular fanlight and the roof balustrade. The balustrade is the only surviving of the three nearly identical ones that once graced High Street. (The other two were 98 High Street and 102-104 High Street.) The entrance porticos are Greek in character and were probably added in the mid-nineteenth century.

The land on which the house stands was sold by merchant Benjamin Wyatt to mariner Stephen Holland in March 1801 for $747.93. The house was probably built shortly thereafter. The property was sold to Green Sanborn in 1824, who sold it to John Harrod in 1829. The property was purchased by Sarah Winslow Marquand in 1829. John Wills and his heirs owned the property from 1832 to 1837, followed by Richard Fowler from 1837 to 1839.

In 1836, Mrs. Mary Nelson, widow of Jeremiah, purchased the house, beginning almost fifty years of Nelson family ownership. Her late husband was a former member of Congress. The 1880 Census indicates that Mrs. Nelson, then 80 years old, was living here with two sons - Jeremiah and John B. Nelson, a daughter, Mary, a granddaughter, and a servant. Mrs. Nelson died on February 1, 1882.

Dr. Henry B. Wheelwright purchased the property in 1886. After his death, his widow, Abby, continued to live in the house. In 1900, she resided here with a cousin and two servants. Mrs. Wheelwright died in 1923 at the age of 94. William B. Plummer, an insurance agent, purchased the house in the 1920s.