Hooper, Robert "King", Mansion
Why it's listed
Located in the dense center of Marblehead, this 20-room house grew in two stages. Greenfield Hooper, a tallow chandler, built the original four-story gambrel-roofed section in 1727-1728. In 1745 his son, Robert Hooper, a successful shipper and merchant, added a three-story Georgian front with wood imitating ashlar stone, corner quoins and a dentiled cornice. Inside, the third floor holds a ballroom with a domed bell ceiling and original chandelier. Hooper's ships carried cured fish abroad, and his gifts to the town, including a fire engine in 1751, earned him the name "King Hooper." Opposed to British trade restrictions but not to remaining a colony, he fled to the Maritimes during the Revolution and lost his wharves, though the house was left untouched. The mansion was listed as an architectural landmark that shows the change from Colonial to Georgian styles. It remained a residence until 1938, when an arts association bought and restored it as an arts center.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as an architectural landmark showing the shift from vernacular Colonial to provincial Georgian styles between 1727 and 1745. It is also tied to the Hooper family, prosperous merchants and ship owners, and especially Robert "King" Hooper, whose trade and civic generosity shaped Marblehead's history.
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 76000264, listed May 12, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 8 Hooper St., Marblehead |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | May 12, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000264 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 (specific dates 1728/1745) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Colonial (1727-28 section) and Georgian (1745 addition) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as an arts center and museum, open daily to visitors; restored after the Marblehead Arts Association bought it in 1938. Condition is marked good. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Marblehead Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.50330, -70.85057 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 76000264.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7341167
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.