Shepard S. Woodcock


Shepard S. Woodcock was an American architect practicing in Boston, Massachusetts during the second half of the nineteenth century.

Early life and training

Shepard S. Woodcock was born on October 6, 1824, in Sidney, Maine. At the age of seventeen he went to Stow, Massachusetts to serve as an apprentice to a carpenter. After his apprenticeship ended, he moved to Boston, where he carried on the carpentry trade for more than ten years. During this period he studied architecture on his own time.

Professional career

In 1854, Woodcock retired from the carpenter's trade and opened an architect's office in Boston. In 1857 he was joined by George F. Meacham, and they had formed a partnership by 1858. The firm of Woodcock & Meacham was dissolved in 1864, when Meacham opened his own office. Woodcock practiced independently for the remainder of his career. By 1888 his reputation was such that he was called as an expert witness in an inquiry into the construction of the High Service Pumping Station at Chestnut Hill. At this time he estimated that he had designed at least 140 churches. Indeed, the bulk of his identifiable projects are churches for Protestant denominations, though he was also responsible for town halls, libraries, schools, office and mercantile buildings, banks, private residences and monuments.
Woodcock was admitted to the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association in 1857, and was an active member of the organization until his death. He was elected to fellowship in the Boston Society of Architects in 1867, which became affiliated with the American Institute of Architects in 1870. He resigned from the organization in 1877.

Personal life

Woodcock was first married to Adeline Ryder, who died in 1850 at the age of 21. In the following year he married Julia Ann Swett, born in 1828 in Wales, Maine. They had at least seven children together, and she died in 1885. At his death he was survived by three daughters.
During the early phase of his career, Woodcock was a resident of Chelsea, Massachusetts. In the early 1860s he relocated to Somerville, where he remained until his death.
In addition to his professional affiliations, Woodcock was also a member of several Masonic and social organizations.

Legacy

In addition to Meacham, other notable architects who worked in Woodcock's office include Alfred Stone, John C. Cochrane and Alberto F. Haynes.
At least eight of his works are individually listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, and others contribute to listed historic districts.

Architectural works

YearProjectAddressCityStateNotesImageReference
1854Houses20-22 Union Park StBostonMassachusetts
1855New Jerusalem Church19 Centre AveAbingtonMassachusettsDemolished.
1856Mercantile building for Parker Fowle & Sons350 Washington StBostonMassachusettsDestroyed in the Great Boston Fire of 1872.
1857House for Clark Swallow132 Whitman StEast BridgewaterMassachusetts
1857Rockingham Bank Building15 Pleasant StPortsmouthNew Hampshire
1858Remodeling of the South Church of Portsmouth292 State StPortsmouthNew HampshireNRHP-listed.
1859Williams School180 Walnut StChelseaMassachusettsDesigned while in partnership with George F. Meacham. Destroyed in the Great Chelsea fire of 1908.
1860Tremont Street Methodist Church 720 Tremont StBostonMassachusettsDesigned while in partnership with George F. Meacham. Hammatt Billings was consulting architect, and to him the exterior design is attributed.
1864Ladd and Whitney MonumentMonument SquareLowellMassachusettsDesigned while in partnership with George F. Meacham.
1864Perry House11 Touro StNewportRhode IslandDesigned while in partnership with George F. Meacham. Demolished.
1864Bank of Cape Ann Building154 Main StGloucesterMassachusettsDesigned while in partnership with George F. Meacham. Later the Cape Ann National Bank. Demolished.
1865E Street Church309 E StBostonMassachusettsLater known as Dahlgren Hall after the congregation dissolved. The building has been largely demolished, but the lower level remains as part of the building now on the site.
1865State Street Baptist Church171 State StSpringfieldMassachusettsDemolished in 1927.
1866First Baptist Church of Cambridge5 Magazine StCambridgeMassachusettsBurned in 1881.
1866Lincoln School40 College AveSomervilleMassachusettsDemolished.
1866Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company Building1341 Main StSpringfieldMassachusettsDemolished.
1866Remodeling of the North Avenue Congregational Church 1801 Massachusetts AveCambridgeMassachusettsAfter the church was relocated, Woodcock was responsible for the addition of transepts. NRHP-listed.
1866Soldiers' MonumentNatick CommonNatickMassachusetts
1866Unitarian Church of Winchendon126 Central StWinchendonMassachusetts
1866Warren Avenue Baptist Church173 W Canton StBostonMassachusettsThe church was the base of Thomas W. Piper, a serial killer. Woodcock was called as a witness during Piper's trial in 1876. Demolished in 1968.
1867First Orthodox Congregational Church of Somerville21 Franklin StSomervilleMassachusettsWoodcock was a member of this church for much of his adult life. Demolished.
1867Lodge Mausoleum,
Mount Auburn Cemetery		580 Mount Auburn StCambridgeMassachusettsBuilt by Anna Cabot Lodge as the resting place of her family, including her son Henry Cabot Lodge.
1867Prescott School75 Myrtle StSomervilleMassachusettsDemolished.
1867Unitarian Church of Ellsworth216 Main StEllsworthMaineDemolished.
1868Brookfield Town Hall6 Central StBrookfieldMassachusettsDemolished.
1868Carter School10 Forsyth StChelseaMassachusettsDemolished.
1868First Baptist Church of Scituate656 Country WayScituateMassachusettsNRHP-listed.
1868Grace Methodist Church34 Court StKeeneNew HampshireNRHP-listed.
1869First Baptist Church of Lebanon11 School StLebanonNew HampshireBurned in 2016.
1869Wesleyan Methodist Church of St. Stephen70 King StSt. StephenNew BrunswickLater the Kirk McColl United Church. Burned.
1870Central Fire StationHighland Ave and Walnut StSomervilleMassachusettsDemolished.
1870First Church in Malden184 Pleasant StMaldenMassachusettsDemolished
1870Marlborough Town Hall140 Main StMarlboroughMassachusettsBurned in 1902.
1870Methodist Church of Westford10 Church StGranitevilleMassachusettsNRHP-listed as part of the Graniteville Historic District.
1871Edgerly School33 Cross StSomervilleMassachusettsDemolished.
1872Christ Episcopal Church 10 Henry StPort HenryNew York
1872First Congregational Church of Litchfield21 Torrington RdLitchfieldConnecticutDemolished in 1929.
1872Grace Episcopal Church104 N Washington StNorth AttleboroughMassachusettsBurned in 1929.
1872Holbrook Town Hall50 N Franklin StHolbrookMassachusettsBurned in 1878.
1872Houses for Adoniram Burrell47-53 M StBostonMassachusetts
1872Hudson Town Hall78 Main StHudsonMassachusetts
1872Remodeling of the Kirk Street Congregational ChurchKirk and French StsLowellMassachusettsReplacement of the facade and interior renovation. Demolished.
1872Trinity Episcopal Church47 East StWrenthamMassachusetts
1873First Baptist Church of KeeneCourt and Vernon StsKeeneNew HampshireDemolished.
1873Masonic Building117 Merrimack StHaverhillMassachusetts
1873North Bennington Congregational Church8 Bank StNorth BenningtonVermont
1874Clark's Block1-23 Main StNatickMassachusetts
1874Bell SchoolVinal Ave and Summer StSomervilleMassachusettsDemolished.
1874Eliot Church273 Summer StLowellMassachusetts
1874Masonic Block24 Main StNatickMassachusetts
1875First Congregational Church of Natick2 E Central StNatickMassachusetts
1875Howard Seminary70 Howard StWest BridgewaterMassachusettsBurned in 1949.
1876House for Frederick Ayer357 Pawtucket StLowellMassachusettsLater the Franco-American School.
1876Keene High School Winter and Middle StsKeeneNew HampshireDemolished.
1877Franklin School363 Broad StWeymouthMassachusettsDemolished.
1879Livery stable for Alfred Papineau180 Green StJamaica PlainMassachusetts
1879The Tabernacle80 Trinity ParkOak BluffsMassachusetts
1880Mercantile building for A. P. Morse and H. B. Taylor215-237 Franklin StBostonMassachusettsDemolished.
1881Hunt School45 Broad StWeymouthMassachusettsDemolished.
1881Shedd Free Library47 N Main StWashingtonNew Hampshire
1883Sanborn Seminary 178 Main StKingstonNew HampshireNRHP-listed.
1885Hebronville School Knight Ave and Webber StAttleboroMassachusettsDemolished.
1885South Attleboro School 437 Newport AveAttleboroMassachusetts
1885St. Philip Episcopal Church65 Union StEasthamptonMassachusettsDemolished.
1887House for Dominick A. Hart45 Hunt StWeymouthMassachusetts
1887Washington School 8 School StWeymouthMassachusettsNRHP-listed.
1888House for George F. Eames57 Mount Vernon StWest RoxburyMassachusetts
1888House for James P. Fairchild41 Maple StStonehamMassachusettsIdentical to the house for Henry A. Hill.
1888House for Henry A. Hill3 Cedar AveStonehamMassachusettsIdentical to the house for James P. Fairchild.
1888Rice Public Library8 Wentworth StKitteryMaineNRHP-listed.
1888School Street School 100 Webster StWhitmanMassachusettsLater known as the Hunt School. Burned in 1983.
1889Addition to building for the Reversible Collar Company12-14 Arrow StCambridgeMassachusettsAddition of the wing along Arrow Street. NRHP-listed.
1889Central Baptist Church3 Nickerson AveMiddleboroughMassachusettsDemolished in 1963.
1889Jefferson School 200 Middle StWeymouthMassachusettsNRHP-listed. Also a contributing property to the Central Square Historic District.
1890Memorial Hall1027 Washington StAbingtonMassachusetts
1890Tufts Library 60 Washington StWeymouthMassachusettsDemolished.
1891Horace Mann High School 150 Emmons StFranklinMassachusettsDemolished in 2016.
1892House for Julius W. Tilson187 Summer StMaldenMassachusetts
1892House for Walter H. Wright54 Vinal AveSomervilleMassachusettsNRHP-listed.
1893House for Frank H. Chamberlain25 Pleasant StHudsonMassachusetts
1895House for William H. Wentworth121 Raymond StCambridgeMassachusetts
1896House for Henry E. Wright31 Pearl StSomervilleMassachusetts