379 County St.
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-993-2621
Designed by Providence architect Russell Warren, this mansion was the first Greek revival
structure built in New Bedford. It was built between 1831 and 1832 for Joseph Grinnell, a whaling
merchant, manufacturer, and packet trader. Joseph also served four terms as a representative in the
U.S. Congress. Joseph's father Cornelius Grinnell, was a sea captain and privateer during the
Revolutionary War.
The large building was constructed using granite from the same quarry (Quincy, MA) as the
Bunker Hill monument in Boston. The front of the building features full height pillars and a large
portico. Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Webster, and John Quincy Adams are among the distinguished
visitors to the mansion.
The Grinnell family owned the mansion until 1940. It was given to the Roman Catholic Dioceses of
Fall River, which used the mansion as a school and youth center until 1957. For many years after
that, the mansion remained empty and deteriorating. In 1988, WHALE bought the property and in
1991, with the assistance of the Inter Church Council, began restorations. Restorations were
completed in 1994 at a cost of $400,000.
The mansion is now the Joseph Grinnell Congregate Home and is used as senior citizen housing.
