The enormous grey and white house on the corner of State and High Streets (No. 110-112 High Street) is a colonial revival house, built in the late 19th century and incorporating a number of features from the Georgian and Federal styles. Before you turn the corner onto High Street, you get a good side view of a gambrel roof, with two slopes to each side of the roof. Also note the elaborate roof railings and the palladian window (the top window). When you turn the corner, you will see that it is really a double house, both sides having richly detailed doorways.

The third house on your left at 104-102 High Street is the Captain Brewster House, built in 1807 as a double house, which, as you will see, was fairly common in Newburyport. Note the beehive moldings over the windows, the double palladian window, and the extremely fine cornice. The most interesting feature of the house is an underground tunnel, which, it is speculated, was used during the embargo of 1807 to hide contraband goods. The Embargo Act, which was meant to hurt the British, who were impressing American sailors into service, actually was far more damaging to the American ports, whose vessels lay idle. The War of 1812 was so unpopular with Nrwburyporters that they indicated to the General Court that they would support Massachusetts' secession from the Union. During the Civil War, the tunnel was part of the Underground Railway which spirited slaves from the South to Canada and freedom. The tunnel originally led from the cellar of the house, under High Street, to the Oak Hill Cemetery on the ridge beyond High Street. Walls, ceiling, and floor were made of brick, and an average person could walk through it comfortably.

Across the street, set high on a ridge behind neat, white picket fences are a number of fine Federal houses.