High Rock Tower-High Rock Cottage and Daisy Cottage
Why it's listed
High Rock, a hill rising 170 feet in Lynn, Massachusetts, holds a small group of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century buildings on about four and a half acres. They include a square granite observation tower of 1904, designed by H.K. Wheeler and C. Betton, and two cottages begun around 1847 by the Hutchinson family. High Rock Cottage is built of local porphyry with granite trim in the Gothic Revival style; Daisy Cottage is a wooden house with pointed-arch windows and label mouldings. An 1892 three-and-a-half-story house at 30 Johns Avenue is also included, along with High Rock Park. The Hutchinson Family Singers lived here and performed at rallies for temperance, abolition and women's suffrage. John Hutchinson built an auditorium on the property in 1892 and later gave the summit to the city for an observatory. The earlier tower of 1847-48 was burned by vandals after the fall of Richmond, and the present tower replaced it.
Significance in brief: The group is significant for its association with the Hutchinson family, whose Hutchinson Family Singers took part in temperance, abolitionist and women's suffrage causes in the nineteenth century. The cottages are Gothic Revival buildings built by the family, and the 1904 tower is a local example of Romanesque Revival architecture. The site was also a place for public celebrations and meetings and a frequent subject of artists' views of Lynn.
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 09000086, listed October 11, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 15, 17 Campbell Terr. and High Rock Park, Lynn |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | October 11, 1979 |
| Reference number | 09000086 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | High Rock Cottage (Lewis and Harney?); High Rock Tower (Wheeler and Betton) |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival (cottages); Romanesque Revival (tower) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The tower's first-story windows and entry are boarded, and its original domed observatory has been removed. The cottages have lost porches and bargeboards, and Daisy Cottage and 30 Johns Avenue are covered in asphalt siding. |
| Acreage | 4.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.46760, -70.94786 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 09000086.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16843173
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.