342 Union Street, Deacon Edward Cannon, 1858

342 Union Street, Deacon Edward Cannon, 1858

The Deacon Edward Cannon house was built in 1858. The deed stated Cannon’s intention to erect a dwelling house for occupancy of himself and his family. For 55 years, the homestead remained in the family's possession. Cannon was the owner of a hat and fur store on Purchase Street before which stood, to the delight and terror of local children, a large stuffed bear, standing upright and threatening. He is better known, however, for his role as Deacon of the North Congregational Church. He helped to establish a mission church at the corner of Rockdale and Kempton Streets, an area thereafter known as Cannonville. The Deacon Cannon house is square in plan and, like many Italianate homes in New Bedford, it is topped by a hip roof with a belvedere.