833 Central Street

Exterior of side entrance of three story home in Greek Revival style.
  • Historic Name: Manuel E. Santos Funeral Home
  • Uses: Funeral home and residence
  • Date of Construction: Circa 1840s
  • Style/Form: Greek Revival
  • Architect/Builder: Unknown
  • Foundation: Stone
  • Wall/Trim: Vinyl siding
  • Roof: Gable roof
  • Major Alterations: Major changes in the last 10 years; raised height to 3 stories; new and additional windows; and vinyl siding
  • Condition: Good
  • Included in Hengen survey? No
  • Related oral interview? No
  • Portuguese owned? Yes (1910)
  • Recorded by: Gregory Gray Fitzsimons and Marie Frank
  • Organization: UMass Lowell
  • Date: July 2023

Description

This 2-1/2-story, L-shaped, wood-frame dwelling has been greatly altered in recent years. Originally built in the 1840s it had Greek Revival elements, similar to many other houses of this size and period in Back Central. The only major historic feature that survives is the off-center front door with surrounding woodwork. It originally had a more steeply pitched, pedimented gable roof but the attic space appears to have been altered with the height of the building raised to accommodate a third floor.

History

A dwelling has stood on this site since the 1840s. In 1863 John A. Denton, who operated a brass foundry in Lowell, acquired the property from one William V. Thompson. Eventually Henry E. Hovey, a mason whose family had roots in Dracut, bought the house. Hovey died in 1903 and his heirs held the property until 1910, when Azorean immigrant Emigdio A. Santos (1856-1933) purchased it. Unlike the previous owners who rented the house, Santos lived here with his family. They were among the earliest Portuguese in Lowell to purchase a house in this part of Back Central, close to St. Anthony’s Church.

Emigdio (spelled Emidio, throughout most of his life in the United States) Santos was born on the island of Graciosa in 1856 and immigrated to the United States at the age of 14. Initially he settled in New Bedford but was often at sea working as a fisherman. In 1879 Santos married Theresa A. da Silva (from Faial) in Boston where his occupation was noted as “mariner.”  At an unknown date his wife died. Santos became a U.S. citizen in 1887 and moved to Lowell at around this same time. Two years later, in his native Graciosa, he married his second wife, Clara Emilia Machado. They settled in Lowell and began a family. For a number years the Santos family, which included four sons and two daughters, lived in a tenement on the corner of Cady and Central streets. Emigdio worked for the city of Lowell as laborer. He was also one of the first Portuguese in Lowell to become involved in local politics. Although Santos never ran for office he served in various roles for the Republican Party, notably as a precinct officer and inspector at the polls. Clara and Emigdio were also founding members of St. Anthony’s parish and both were active in various church organizations.

The middle son, Manuel E. Santos, born in 1897, attended Lowell’s public schools and worked for a few years at the Saco-Lowell Machine Shop. In the 1920s he established a funeral business out of the family home at 833 Central Street. He served almost exclusively Lowell’s Portuguese community. The close proximity of the Santos funeral home to St. Anthony’s Church undoubtedly contributed to the success of the business. Manuel Santos, married Alice Sousa, and continued to live at 833 Central Street. They had one son, Robert J. Santos. By 1950, however, they moved to Andrews Street in South Lowell, using the Central Street home strictly as a funeral parlor. The business ended prior to the death of Manuel Santos in 1964.

Sources

  • Sidney and Neff, Map of Lowell, 1850.
  • Lowell Atlases, 1882, 1896, 1906, 1924, 1936.
  • Property deed, Hovey to Santos, March 18, 1910, book 447, pages 414-416, Northern Middlesex Registry of Deeds.
  • Property deed, Ramalho to Gravito, August 25, 1992, Northern Middlesex Registry of Deeds.
  • Obituary of Emigdio Santos, Lowell Sun, December 18, 1933.
  • Obituary of Clara E. Santos, Lowell Sun, March 1, 1954.
  • Obituary of Manuel E. Santos, Lowell Sun, December 3, 1964.
  • Federal Census, Lowell, Massachusetts, 1900, 1910, and 1920.
  • Lowell city directories, 1900, 1936 and 1950.