Lee, Jeremiah, House
National Historic Landmark

Lee, Jeremiah, House

Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Building
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
66000766

About this property

The Jeremiah Lee Mansion is a historic house located in Marblehead, Massachusetts. It is operated as a house museum by the local historical society. Built in 1768, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 as one of the finest Late Georgian houses in the United States. It features original wallpaper and finely crafted woodwork. The mansion is a large wooden house in the Georgian style, with an imitation stone ashlar facade, built in 1768 by Colonel Jeremiah Lee, at that time the wealthiest merchant and ship owner in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The facade may be based on Plate 11 of Robert Morris' influential patternbook Rural Architecture (London 1750; retitled Select Architecture in later eds.). It was one of the largest and most opulent houses of the late-colonial period in America. The mansion is now owned by the Marblehead Museum and Historical Society. It contains a notable collection of early American furniture, and many of the mansion's original decorative finishes have been preserved, including rare 18th-century English hand-painted wallpaper, intricate carving in the rococo style, and a grand entry hall and staircase paneled with mahogany. On either side of its landing are copies of the full-length portraits of Jeremiah and Martha Lee by John Singleton Copley. The mansion was declared a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. In 1984 it was also included in the Marblehead Historic District. National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts

Location

Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts
42.50370, -70.85099

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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 Lee, Jeremiah, House

This page lists Lee, Jeremiah, House. 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 Lee, Jeremiah, House report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Hooper, Robert "King", Mansion
Industrial
0 mi
St. Michael's Church
Industrial
0 mi
Abbot Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
Old Town House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Story Grammar School
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

USS Chesapeake vs. HMS Shannon
1813Early Republic
10.8 mi
Action at Hog Island
1775Revolutionary War
11.3 mi
USS Chesapeake vs HMS Shannon
1813Early Republic
11.8 mi
Battle of Chelsea Creek (1775)
1775Revolutionary War
11.8 mi
Battle of Chelsea Creek
1775Revolutionary War
11.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Lee, Jeremiah, House listed on the National Register?

Lee, Jeremiah, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Lee, Jeremiah, House?

Lee, Jeremiah, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Lee, Jeremiah, House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Lee, Jeremiah, House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Lee, Jeremiah, House?

The period of significance for Lee, Jeremiah, House is recorded as the colonial era, specifically around 1768.

Can I research the history near Lee, Jeremiah, House?

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 Lee, Jeremiah, House 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 Lee, Jeremiah, House will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report