The Dowe Houses

The Dowe Houses. . (side 1) , The three Dowe houses are a reminder of the residential neighborhood that existed here in the 19th century., The main family residence, dating from 1863, was originally designed as an Italianate-style "raised cottage." But in 1908, the high porch, approached by twin curving stairs, was replaced by the present two-story columned portico. The house was built for John Dowe, an Irish-born grocer and confectioner, his wife Joanna, and their several children. Descendants continued to live here for nearly 150 years. The last member of the family to occupy the house was John Dowe III, who died in 2007 at the age of 97. (Continued on other side). (side 2) (Continued from other side). In 1885, Joanna Dowe, by then a widow, constructed another house (below) just west of the older residence. Eclectic in style, the house was hailed by the local press as an "ornament to the city...a revolution in architecture and workmanship.", A third family home (right), built in the American Queen Anne style, dates from c. 1890. It faces Hull Street just behind the main residence., Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, the three houses are protected by a preservation easement held by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.