Lee, Jeremiah, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1768 for Colonel Jeremiah Lee, a wealthy Marblehead merchant and shipowner, this three-story frame mansion at 161 Washington Street reportedly cost 10,000 pounds. Its wooden walls are scored and sanded to look like cut stone, with angle quoins, keystoned lintels, a pedimented central pavilion, an Ionic portico and an octagonal cupola. Inside, a wide hall and a seven-foot staircase of Santo Domingo mahogany lead to rooms with carved woodwork, Wren-Baroque style fireplaces and English wallpapers, some original. Lee took part in patriot activities before the Revolution and died in 1775 after exposure during a flight from British officers. The house later passed to Chief Justice Samuel Sewall, served as a bank for over a century after 1804, and went to the Marblehead Historical Society in 1909. The Society restored it and now runs it as a museum. It is considered among the finest Late Georgian houses in the country.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the finest and most elaborate Late Georgian houses in the United States. It is described as the one pre-Revolution New England Georgian house whose interiors equal the best large Georgian houses of New York City and Philadelphia. Its carved woodwork and surviving imported wallpaper are cited, along with Lee's role as a wealthy merchant and patriot leader.
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 66000766, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Washington St., Marblehead |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000766 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 |
| Architectural style | Late Georgian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated October 9, 1960 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition; operated as a house museum open to visitors by the Marblehead Historical Society. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Marblehead Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.50370, -70.85099 (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 66000766.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6180889
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.