Lydia Pinkham House
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Lydia Pinkham House | |
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| Location | Lynn, Massachusetts |
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| Coordinates | 42°28′33″N 70°57′3″W / 42.47583°N 70.95083°WCoordinates: 42°28′33″N 70°57′3″W / 42.47583°N 70.95083°W |
| Built | 1893 |
| Architectural style | Second Empire; Colonial Revival |
| Governing body | Private |
| NRHP Reference # | 12000818[1] |
| Added to NRHP | September 25, 2012 |
The Lydia Pinkham House was the Lynn, Massachusetts, home of Lydia Pinkham, a leading manufacturer and marketer of patent medicines in the late 19th century. It is in this house that she developed Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound, an application claimed to provide relief for "female complaints". Its address, 285 Western Avenue, was widely known, for women all over the country would write to her for advice and comment, and the company cultivated the idea that Pinkham created the compound in her home. Pinkham herself would answer such letters, and the practice was continued by the company in her name for some time after her death in 1883.[2]
House history
The house was built in 1872 by either Charles Beede, the seller of the property in 1871, or Leander Berry, who purchased it. The small house was built with Second Empire styling, including a mansard roof, which was then in fashion. In 1876 Beede reacquired the property, which he then rented to Isaac and Lydia Pinkham. It was at the time the only Second Empire home in the neighborhood. The Pinkhams occupied the house until Lydia's death, during which time the company rose to national prominence. The basement of the main block has large storage areas and shows evidence that it once contained a large stove on which the Pinkham compound may have been produced.[2]
The building has an ell that extends from the rear of the main block. Originally a single story, it received a second story in 1922. Porches were added on the northern corner where the ell met the main block at the same time.[2] Around 2000 the building was given a major rehabilitation.[3]
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, and is under consideration for designation as a National Historic Landmark for its association with the Pinkhams and their business.[2]
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lynn, Massachusetts
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts
References
- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "NHL nomination for Lydia Pinkham House". National Park Service. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
- ↑ "NRHP nomination for Lydia Pinkham House". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
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