Forty of Boston's historic houses; a brief illustrated description of the residences of historic characters of Boston who have lived in or near the business section . MELVILLE HOUSEGreen Street The home of Thomas Melville, the last of the cocked hats in Boston, stood formany years on Green Street, formerly Green Lane, near Bowdoin Square. He boughtthe estate, a part in 1788 and a part in 1800, and lived in the comfortable houseerected there for about forty years. He is recorded as a resident of Green Streetas early as 1796, and he died there in 1832. Major Melville—for such was his title—was a
Forty of Boston's historic houses; a brief illustrated description of the residences of historic characters of Boston who have lived in or near the business section . MELVILLE HOUSEGreen Street The home of Thomas Melville, the last of the cocked hats in Boston, stood formany years on Green Street, formerly Green Lane, near Bowdoin Square. He boughtthe estate, a part in 1788 and a part in 1800, and lived in the comfortable houseerected there for about forty years. He is recorded as a resident of Green Streetas early as 1796, and he died there in 1832. Major Melville—for such was his title—was a well-known citizen of Boston for many years. He participated in the BostonTea Party in 1773, served in the Revolutionary War, and was Naval Officer andSurveyor of the Port of Boston from 1789 to 1829. He was popularly known as thelast man in Boston to wear a cocked hat and knee-breeches, and as such was immor-talized by the poet Oliver Wendell Holmes, who wrote of him in his poem TheLast Leaf:— I know it is a sinFor me to sit and grin At him here;But the old three-cornered hatAnd the breeches and all that Are so DEACON HOUSE Washington Street This mansion was built on Washington Street at the South End about 1848 byPeter Parker, a wealthy Boston merchant, for his son-in-law and daughter, Mrs. Edward Preble Deacon. It was designed like a French chateau, and theextensive grounds which surrounded it were enclosed by a high brick wall. Theentrance to the house was on Concord Street, through double gates, beside which wasa porters lodge. The Deacon family lived, however, but a few years in the greathouse, and went abroad, where Mr. Deacon died about the year 1851. Mrs. Deaconand her children returned to America, and lived again in the house, but later returnedto Europe to live permanently. The house and its contents were sold at auctionon the first three days of February, 1871, soon after the death of Peter Parker, andthe event was a noteworthy one, as thousand
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecthistori, bookyear1912
