Old Ship Street Historic District

This neighborhood of 38 houses in Medford, Massachusetts, sits on roughly seven acres near the Mystic River, close to where the town's shipyards once operated. Most buildings are small Greek Revival houses and cottages, typically one and a half or two and a half stories with the gable end facing the street. Robert Ells, a ship joiner, began developing the area in 1828 and is believed to have built five houses on Park Street, including a Federal-style hip-roof house described as Medford's best surviving example. From 1844, housewright Oakman Joyce developed the remaining lots, selling mainly to shipbuilders, ship carpenters and other tradesmen. By 1855 the area was essentially complete. Because one builder and his apprentices produced most of the houses, they share a consistent character. Many now have replacement siding, but the small-town Greek Revival streetscape remains intact. The district was listed for its architecture and its link to Medford's shipbuilding era, when 567 vessels were built between 1802 and 1873.