National Register of Historic Places

O'Shea Building

Peabody, Essex County, Massachusetts
Listed
January 11, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
09000710

About this property

The O'Shea Building is a historic commercial building located at 7–15 Main Street in Peabody, Massachusetts. Built in 1904 by Thomas O'Shea, one of the city's leading businessmen at the time, it is a well-preserved example of commercial Renaissance revival architecture. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The O'Shea Building is located on the south side of Main Street, just east of Peabody Square, in the city's central business district. It is a two-story building, constructed out of brick, limestone, and granite, with Renaissance revival styling. It occupies a footprint of 160 feet (49 m) on Main Street, with a shorter frontage on Nichols Lane. Facing Main Street, it consists of three store fronts on each side of a slightly projecting central arched entrance to the office spaces above. The retail floor is divided from the offices by a pressed metal entablature, a feature that also appears above the second-story. The second floor consists of a series of arched window openings, that are grouped into pairs divided by Corinthian pilasters. The building is one of two buildings, the other being the Second O'Shea Building, which stands adjacent to this one on Peabody Square. It was also built too by Thomas O'Shea, one of the city's leading businessmen in the early 1900s. At the time both buildings were built, this section of Main Street was still largely residential, with some small shops. The original retail tenants of this block included a druggist, dry goods dealer, grocer, and milliner, and the upstairs housed professional offices and fraternal social organizations, including the Grand Army of the Republic and the Knights of Columbus. National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts

Location

1-15 Main St.
Peabody, Essex County, Massachusetts
42.52550, -70.92677

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMERCE
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 O'Shea Building

This page lists O'Shea Building. 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 O'Shea Building report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Second O'Shea Building
Industrial
0 mi
Hickey-Osborne Block
Industrial
0.1 mi
First Unitarian Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Sutton Block
Industrial
0.1 mi
Peabody City Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Chelsea Creek (1775)
1775Revolutionary War
10.4 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 O'Shea Building listed on the National Register?

O'Shea Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 11, 1980.

What type of historic resource is O'Shea Building?

O'Shea Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for O'Shea Building?

The period of significance for O'Shea Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near O'Shea Building?

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 O'Shea Building 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 O'Shea Building will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report