How a Row House Changed Beck Street
The five-unit row house from 5-13 Beck St. is a good example of the multiple-family residences built throughout Newburyport during the prosperity of the textile mills.
The James Steam Mills was just a short distance away on Charles Street. Built as an investment property by Sewell B. Noyes in 1877, all units were individually sold to new owners and have remained independent since.
Mr. Noyes was an entrepreneur of his time. He started his career as a mason and then began building houses in 1853. At the same time, he started purchasing Newburyport real estate and even began lending mortgage money to people.
He entered the retail industry by selling everything from groceries to cigars and carriages to furniture. He was also the owner and proprietor of the City Hotel on Middle Street. At the time of his death in 1889, Noyes’ estate was valued at more than $52,000, with about $35,000 of that in real estate – a tidy sum in that day!
A part of his real estate holdings included the two beautiful brick mansions and property on the east side of Federal Street from the corner of Beck Street to 17 Federal St.
On March 10, 1877, the newspaper reported that Noyes had broken ground for a five-house tenement on Beck Street. By September of the same year, the paper reported that the first of the units was sold and occupied.
The end units sold for $2,000 each and the other three sold for $1,800 each. One other article reported that J.H.W. Noyes fell from the roof during construction and suffered a compound fracture that necessitated amputation.
The entrances to each of the five units feature Victorian-style manufactured wood brackets on either side of the door. One of the entrances along the row is original – can you guess which one?
When the building was constructed, it had a simple gable roofline but over the years, several units expanded their living space to the third floor and altered the roofline. Mr. Noyes installed brick sidewalks and granite curbs. The construction of this property significantly changed the streetscape of Beck Street.
The building has been damaged multiple times since it was built. In 1978, a fire broke out at 7 Beck St. after a small girl dropped a match. All five units were affected by fire, smoke and water damage.
In 2001, a water main break on Beck Street flooded basements along the row of houses and damaged other property on Beck and Ship streets. Each time, the owners completed renovations to maintain the integrity and beauty of the building.
The next time you walk around NBPT@3MPH, take a look at the beautiful features of the row house on Beck Street and see if you can pick out the original entrance.
Barb Bailey is a researcher for the Newburyport Preservation Trust. She may be reached at Barb.Bailey03@gmail.com.
