This piece comes from the Sippican Historical Society as part of a series of Marion historical briefs. 

21 Main Street is reputedly the oldest building in Wharf Village, with interior structural elements that point to a 1690s construction date.

This historic house is important not only because it is Marion's oldest surviving home, but it is also typical of the town center's most widely represented historic residential architectural style: The Cape Cod cottage. These compact houses were ideally suited for the harsh New England climate and could easily be enlarged to meet the changing needs of families.

Actually a three-quarters Cape, this venerable dwelling is said to have been built for a member of the Ryder family, and was owned by members of the Wing family during the second half of the nineteenth century.  By the early 1900s, it was owned by Marion’s Universalist Church.

The photo above was taken for the 1998 architectural survey, and the photo below shows the beautifully preserved house in 2020.