Bradford-Union Street Historic District
Also known as: Bradford Area
Why it's listed
Sloping down toward Plymouth Harbor, this neighborhood of about thirty-nine buildings was once home to the mariners and tradesmen who supported the town's maritime economy. Most buildings are modest 19th-century houses: Greek Revival dwellings built for sea captains, small Cape Cod cottages, and a group of compact Gothic Revival cottages with carved eave trim. Many of the cottages came from a late-1840s development by Ansel Harlow, in partnership with Captain Samuel Doten, and were sold largely to Irish immigrants. Cod fishing, flake yards, fish houses, boatbuilding and an iron foundry shaped the area, and the surviving brick portion of the foundry is now part of a marine company. Economic decline set in late in the century, and by the 1930s the waterfront was no longer an active commercial harbor. Later infill and a yacht club have replaced much of the industrial fabric, but the dense, cohesive 19th-century streetscape remains, which supported the district's listing for its history and architecture.
Significance in brief: The district grew from the mid-18th to late 19th century as a neighborhood of workers in supporting trades for Plymouth's maritime industry, including fish drying, boatbuilding and an iron foundry. It keeps cohesive 19th-century cottages, sea captains' houses and multi-family dwellings, including Gothic Revival cottages from a 1840s speculative development. It was found to meet criteria A and C.
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 83004094, listed November 10, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Bradford, Union, Emerald, Water Cure, and Freedom Sts., Plymouth |
|---|---|
| County | Plymouth County |
| Listed | November 10, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004094 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1700-1899 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Greek Revival, Gothic Revival cottages, Cape and Georgian-influenced buildings |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now primarily residential; most 19th-century industry and commerce along the waterfront has been lost to 20th-century construction, though the 19th-century character largely remains. |
| Acreage | 7 |
| Coordinates | 41.95507, -70.66076 (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 83004094.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4954561
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.