Hickey-Osborne Block
Also known as: Upton,John,House; Upton,E.S.,House; Dodge,Daniel,House
Why it's listed
Three early houses on Main Street in Peabody, Massachusetts, were combined over time into a single commercial block. The John Upton House dates to about 1797, while the Daniel Dodge House and the Ebenezer Sprague Upton House were built about 1835. Each began as a family residence, in Federal or transitional Federal and Greek Revival styles. The easternmost house was raised onto a ground-floor storefront around 1897 and became the Osborne Block. In 1923, physician John J. Hickey had the other two houses lifted onto brick commercial ground floors, and two brick additions tied all three together. Upper floors kept residential use, and shops and offices filled the street level. The block is considered important as the best surviving group of pre-Civil War houses downtown and as a record of how Peabody's center changed from a community of small shops and homes to a commercial district serving a leather-manufacturing city. It is significant locally for its history and architecture.
Significance in brief: The three houses are described as downtown Peabody's most distinguished surviving pre-Civil War residential architecture. Their later alterations illustrate how the downtown grew from scattered shops and houses into a major commercial center tied to leather manufacturing. The block is significant at the local level under Criteria A and C.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 85002416, listed September 19, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 38--60 Main St., Peabody |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | September 19, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002416 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900-1923 (also lists 1700-1799) |
| Architect / builder | Builder/architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Federal and Greek Revival transitional houses with later commercial alterations |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and altered, on its original site; ground floors in commercial use with residential and office space above. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.52553, -70.92543 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 85002416.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5751015
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.