32 William St.
New Bedford, MA 02740
Built in 1821, this Federal-style mansion was the home of Andrew Robeson. Robeson had successful interests in whaling, banking, and printing and was featured in the 1851 book, Rich Men of Massachusetts.
The mansion is a remarkable story of the preservation and restoration efforts of the Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE) in New Bedford.
Originally, the mansion was in the center of the block on Second Street and had grounds and gardens that covered nearly two square blocks. Over time, the mansion had become surrounded by businesses and warehouses and was barely visible from the street.
An effort to bring the Pairpoint Glassworks back to New Bedford in the late 1970's required the mansion to be either torn down or moved. The Glassworks needed the space occupied by the mansion to build glass furnaces if the company was to return operations here.
In the winter of 1978, WHALE undertook the task of moving the 500-ton mansion. The mansion was lifted off its foundation and moved inch-by-inch through a parking lot and onto William St. It was then moved down William St., literally scraping between the U.S. Custom House and the old Citizens National Bank building. The building was turned 90 degrees and rested on its current foundation. In the middle of the move came the Blizzard of 1978. It took four months to move the building 400 feet.
The Andrew Robeson House is located across William St. from the Downtown Visitor Center in The New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.
It now houses private offices.
