Macomber-Sylvia Building

...at the foot of Union Street and Johnny Cake Hill
in New Bedford, Massachusetts

Roger Williams University Archives
https://docs.rwu.edu/baker_macomber_house/

Macomber-Sylvia Building

Originally built in the early 19th century by Leonard Macomber, at the foot of Union Street and Johnny Cake Hill in New Bedford, the building had been a grocery store, bakery, hardware store, and barber shop. In 1870 it was purchased by Antone Sylvia who added an Italianate style gable dormer to the front and used the building to manufacture cigars. The next owner, c. 1900, added three large windows to the second floor.

By the 1960s businesses began to move away from the area and the "Macomber-Sylvia" Building was abandoned. When it was condemned by the city of New Bedford, the Waterfront Historic Area League (WHALE) bought the building.

In 1976, Pete was recruited by Sarah Delano, WHALE's president, to save the Macomber-Sylvia Building. Pete and Doug Keffer began working on the building to restore it to its 1870 Italianate appearance.

By January 1977, most of the work was complete, with the exception of hanging a new front door. WHALE scheduled a board meeting that day to sell the restored building. Early in the morning of Janurary 18, 1977, a gas explosion rocked the area, destroying the Macomber-Sylvia Building and two other structures - O'Malley's Tavern and the Eggers Building.

To Learn more about the Macomber-Sylvia Building Restoration, please visit https://docs.rwu.edu/baker_macomber_house/

View Pete's Daily Log

Click on the box in the lower right to view in full screen.

Structural Survey of Macomber-Sylvia with Baker's Drawings and Blueprints for Restoration:

Excerpt from A.W. Baker Restorations, Inc. Structural Survey of the Macomber-Silvia Building, 1976.

"The ten acre area in New Bedford, which has been designated as a waterfront Historic District, has been thus honored because of the surviving structures which exist as a direct result of the commercial ventures that have given New Bedford it's identity with the past, in the present and for the future.

There are many types of architecture within this area that visually record the ever changing and busy atmosphere that predominated New Bedford's harbor during a 100 year span - from 1800 to 1900.

The Macomber-Silvia building supplies a meaningful space, along with the other structures, in the over all concept of the area that now has attained the title of a National Monument. To lose this building would not be unlike losing a volume from a set of books written about the history of New Bedford, it's people, influences, needs and changes. Already too many buildings have been lost and it seems a time when conjecture on anything but a positive level is out of the question. This building not only helped to serve those men who "went down to the sea in ships" but those people who contributed to the growth of New Bedford from a small waterfront town to a complex urban environment. The mood suggested by this building alone an in conjunction with it's neighboring buildings will help to create a solid boundary to incorporate the concept of the historic area....both in spirit and in actuality.

The Macomber-Silvia building was built in the early 19th century by Macomber. It is a simple wooden frame structure with studded walls and horizontal board sheathing. The work of early craftsmen is clearly visable .... the frame being built with hand-hewn pine timbers, morticed, tenoned and pegged. The studs also are tenoned and morticed into the frame. It is believed that in 1874 the gable roof and Victorian store front were added by Silvia, thus adding to it's 70 year heritage a second important architectural feature influenced by the times and growth in New Bedford."

Click to read Anne Baker's full Structural Survey.

To see more Drawings and Blueprints, visit https://docs.rwu.edu/baker_macomber_house/

Sketch of exterior of the Macomber-Sylvia Building.

Drawing of Macomber-Sylvia House Exterior, street front, ground level. 1976.

Blueprint of North and West Elevations of Macomber-Sylvia Building. Indicates structural changes to North Wall and materials for roof, shingles, and clapboards.

Most of the work was complete, with the exception of hanging a new front door. WHALE scheduled a board meeting that day to sell the restored building.

Photographs from Macomber-Sylvia restoration:

Click on an image to view the slide show
More images available at https://docs.rwu.edu/baker_macomber_house/

Macomber-Sylvia Building - view north from across Union St.

Macomber-Sylvia Building view up from sidewalk, 1976.

Macomber-Sylvia photograph taken in 1976 showing the tin ceiling with chimney. First floor, east wall.

Macomber-Sylvia Building: First floor, north wall. Photograph taken in 1976.

Macomber-Sylvia Building. Photograph, taken in 1976, shows a broken plate with a support post on the first floor looking east.

Macomber-Sylvia Building, 1976. Cut floor joist on the second floor, facing east, northeast.

Macomber-Sylvia Building. Photograph taken in 1976. Second Floor, west wall.

Macomber-Sylvia Building photograph taken in 1976 showing the southeast corner of the second floor.

Macomber-Sylvia Building photograph taken in 1976. Third floor, facing West, Northwest.

Macomber-Sylvia Building photograph taken in 1976 showing work on interior restoration.

Restoration nearly complete. All was complete except the hanging of the new door. On January 18, 1977 the building was destroyed by a gas explosion.

Early in the morning, a gas explosion rocked the area, destroying the Macomber-Sylvia Building and two other structures - O'Malley's Tavern and the Eggers Building.