Mowers' Block
Also known as: Rolfe Building
Why it's listed
Rising six stories at the corner of Willow and Blake Streets near Lynn's Central Square, this brick building was completed in October 1891 for the Mower brothers, Quaker shoe manufacturers whose earlier factory burned in the Great Fire of 1889. Designed by Edwin Earp of Lynn and built by Joseph Breed II & Son and Nathaniel T. Davidson & Son, it originally held nine storefronts, sixteen offices and four floors of rental lofts for manufacturing. The Victorian Gothic design features fluted cast-iron posts at street level, decorative brick panels in the curved corner bays and beneath the cornice, and varied window arches resting on granite springers. It was among the earliest and largest buildings planned during the rebuilding after the fire, and construction waited on the city's decision to create Blake Street. Among Earp's surviving factories and commercial blocks, it is regarded as the best preserved. Its importance grew after a November 1981 fire destroyed much of Lynn's former shoe manufacturing district.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites its associations with Lynn's shoemaking industry and with the city's rebuilding after the Great Fire of 1889. It is one of the largest shoe factory and commercial buildings built in Lynn in the nineteenth century and preserves nearly all of its original Victorian Gothic (Panel Brick) design. It is also described as the best preserved of Earp's surviving factories and commercial blocks, and gained importance after a 1981 fire destroyed much of the former shoe district.
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 82001991, listed February 25, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7 Willow St. and 67-83 Blake St., Lynn |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | February 25, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001991 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Edwin Earp of Lynn; built by Joseph Breed II & Son, carpenters, and Nathaniel T. Davidson & Son, masons |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic (Panel Brick) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in excellent condition and altered; storefronts were rebuilt in 1980 and the building is used for commercial and apartment purposes. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Within district | Central Square Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.46432, -70.94508 (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 82001991.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6927287
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.