Merrill's Wharf Historic District
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
Merrill's Wharf Historic District occupies just under an acre on the New Bedford waterfront and includes the Coal Pocket Pier, the Steamship Authority Pier, the unaltered portion of Merrill's Wharf, and a three-story granite loft building. Captain Edward Merrill bought the land from the Rotch family in 1837 and built the counting house and two piers for his whaling business. The loft building dates to 1847-48. Edward Bourne began whaling operations there in 1848 and eventually owned more whaling ships than any other owner in New England. His counting house office interior was later moved to the Whaling Museum. A sail-making firm worked on the site from 1925 to 1968. The Steamship Authority Pier, built in 1838, served as the departure point for island boats for more than a century. The district was listed as the only remaining unaltered section of the city's waterfront. A 1974 fire damaged the loft building, leaving its upper floors exposed.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Engineering, Transportation, Architecture |
|---|---|
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Merrill's Wharf Historic District (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.