Hoyt-Shedd Estate
Why it's listed
Two matching houses and their two large carriage houses make up this estate in Lowell's Belvidere neighborhood. Eli W. Hoyt and Freeman B. Shedd, friends and business partners, built identical Stick Style houses side by side on Andover Street in 1874. Their fortunes came from Hoyt's German Cologne and later Rubifoam, a flavored dentifrice, and both men also developed real estate in Belvidere. Around 1884 a shared barn was moved away and replaced by two mirror-image Queen Anne carriage houses, and the porches were updated with Queen Anne trim. The Hoyt House keeps black walnut woodwork, marble fireplaces, painted ceilings and imported chandeliers. The Shedd House was stuccoed in 1917. The Shedd Carriage House retains its stable fittings, while the Hoyt Carriage House, once a small hospital, has been damaged by fire and vandalism. The estate was listed for its business associations and its architecture.
Significance in brief: The estate is tied to Eli W. Hoyt and Freeman B. Shedd, Lowell businessmen whose Hoyt's German Cologne and Rubifoam dentifrice became nationally known. The paired houses and mirror-image carriage houses are excellent examples of the Stick and Queen Anne styles. Their distinctive relationship to each other adds to that value.
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 84002697, listed May 17, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 386-396 Andover St., 569-579 E. Merrimack St., Lowell |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | May 17, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002697 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Mr. Wilkins (reported architect of the houses); Frederick Stickney (attributed, carriage houses); builder James W. Bennett of Lowell (carriage houses) |
| Architectural style | Stick Style (houses) with Queen Anne style porch trim; Queen Anne (carriage houses) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Industry, Landscape Architecture, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Hoyt Carriage House has suffered vandalism and fire; the Shedd Carriage House is largely intact, with part used as a private residence. Both main houses are private residences. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Within district | Andover Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.64316, -71.29071 (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 84002697.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5922905
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.