97 Hillman Street Obadiah Burgess, 1830, Vernacular Greek Revival

The area of 97 Hillman Street once part of the land holding of the Kempton family. Obadiah Burgess a house wright, erected home in 1830 soon after he purchased the property; however, he never lived here. Upon his death in 1840 his widow Rebecca Burgess resided here for a brief time, but the first permanent resident-owner was whaling captain Caleb G. Shepherd. Its wide street facade accommodates a Greek Revival entry of commanding proportions. Doric pilasters frame a wide doorway with sidelights and support a tall architrave with uncomplicated moldings of the style. However, the splayed window lintels reveal a fidelity to Federal style and are elements typical of a building of the early 1830s.