Henry Philips Oakman, 1831-1917
Henry Philips Oakman (right) was one of many enterprising developers working to meet the growing demand for housing in the decades after Dorchester was annexed to Boston in 1870. Newspaper articles indicate that Henry’s name was attached to many building permits in Dorchester at the end of the nineteenth century.
Henry was born in Marshfield, Massachusetts, in 1831. His family had deep roots in Marshfield and descended from John Rogers who moved to Marshfield around 1647. In 1852, he married Arethusa Hatch in Marshfield, and they started their family there. When the Civil War began, Henry volunteered to fight for the Union and joined company K of the 38th Massachusetts Regiment. He was involved in the siege at Port Hudson in Louisiana, where he was injured and subsequently discharged in 1863.
After Henry’s military service, the Oakmans moved, first to Milton for a short time, then to the Neponset section of Dorchester, where they lived for the rest of their lives on the street bearing their name, Oakman Street. In addition to being a builder and carpenter, Henry held other jobs, including assessor, Marshfield selectman, postman, and justice of the pe3ace. At the time of his retirement, he was working as the president and director of the Guardian Co-operative Bank.
At least two of Henry’s sons, Arthur and Elmer, became carpenters and worked with their father in the family business, H.P. Oakman Sons.
Henry and Arethusa celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in March 1903 at 1 Oakman Street. Henry died on April 5, 1917.