National Register of Historic Places

Hickey-Osborne Block

Peabody, Essex County, Massachusetts
Listed
September 18, 1985
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
85002416

About this property

The Hickey—Osborne Block is a historic commercial-residential building in Peabody, Massachusetts. It is a distinctive repurposing of three residential structures, dating as far back as 1797, by raising them and building brick commercial ground floors beneath them. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The Hickey-Osborne Block occupies a long portion of a city block on the north side of Main Street east of Peabody Square in downtown Peabody, opposite its junction with Park Street. The building has five groundfloor storefronts, reflective of the history of its construction. The upper levels consist of three wood-frame houses, each 2+1⁄2 stories in height, thus giving the building as a whole a height of 3+1⁄2 stories. In the gaps between these houses are stylistically linked single-story flat-roof wood frame commercial elements. The oldest portion of the block is the easternmost house, built about 1797 for John Upton, while the other two houses date to about 1835. All have five-bay facades in the Federal style, although the middle house has had its center bays replaced by a two-story bay window structure. The Upton House was raised on 1897 by S. Osborne, and its ground floor was remodeled in the 1960s to match the other elements of the building. The houses of Daniel Dodge and Ebenezer Sprague Upton were raised in 1923. At that time, the infill sections between the buildings were also added. This development is reflective of the transition of Peabody's downtown Main Street from a mainly residential area to one that is now entirely commercial. The three houses are the best-preserved reminders of the area's residential past. National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts

Location

38--60 Main St.
Peabody, Essex County, Massachusetts
42.52553, -70.92543

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTCOMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Hickey-Osborne Block

This page lists Hickey-Osborne Block. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Hickey-Osborne Block report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Sutton Block
Industrial
0 mi
O'Shea Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Second O'Shea Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Peabody Institute Library
Industrial
0.1 mi
First Unitarian Church
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Chelsea Creek (1775)
1775Revolutionary War
10.5 mi
Battle of Chelsea Creek
1775Revolutionary War
10.6 mi
Action at Hog Island
1775Revolutionary War
10.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Hickey-Osborne Block listed on the National Register?

Hickey-Osborne Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 18, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Hickey-Osborne Block?

Hickey-Osborne Block is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Hickey-Osborne Block?

The period of significance for Hickey-Osborne Block is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Hickey-Osborne Block?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Hickey-Osborne Block will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Essex County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Essex County.

Explore EssexCounty ›

More historic places in Massachusetts

Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.

View Massachusettshistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Massachusetts history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Massachusettshistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Hickey-Osborne Block will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report