Historic New Bedford Mansion With Herman Melville Ties Hitting the Market

A historic piece of New Bedford is being placed on the market. You can now own The Whalehouse, also known as the Historic Melville Mansion.

The simple fact that the mansion was built amongst the captains' homes in 1855 makes it an extraordinary piece of New Bedford real estate.  Add one of the city's most famous names to the mix and you've got a history buff's dream.

The Melville name is synonymous with New Bedford. It is well documented that Herman Melville, author of Moby-Dick, stayed in the Whaling City before shipping off on whaling ship The Acushnet.

Talk about doing research for a book.

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Melville dedicated the next five years to immersing himself in the life of a whaler. He was willing to risk his very life for the first-hand knowledge he utilized to write about the adventures of Ishmael.

According to The Whalehouse, Melville's sister, Catherine Melville Hoadley, lived at the 100 Madison St. home in the 1860s and 1870s. It is presumed that her brother stayed there during visits to New Bedford.

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How historic is this home? While the New Bedford Whaling Museum has its Moby-Dick Marathon, you could be curled up with the book sitting in a home visited by the author himself.

As the home has yet to be officially placed on the market, no asking price was immediately available.

The current owners, who rent the home out for overnight stays, shared the news on Facebook:

It is incredibly bittersweet as we have poured our hearts and souls into restoring this grand home, but it’s also the right choice for us to move on to our next chapter. We just completed some huge projects (entire exterior restoration and paint job, brand new Viessmann heating system for 14 zones, large bathroom remodel, backyard renovation and beautification, the list goes on and on and on) and it’s the perfect time to pass to its next owners.

More details and information about an open house are expected soon. Call Diana Henry Realty at 508-997-6250 to find out more.