C. 1859  ·  HISTORIC BUILDING

Shoemaker and farmer Daniel A. Hunkins built this shoe shop in 1859. Known as a “10-Footer,” this style of small workshop once dotted the countryside of Haverhill, Bradford, and Essex County — a defining feature of the cottage industry that preceded Haverhill’s rise as a manufacturing powerhouse.

Inside, you’ll find two cobbler benches and a collection of hand tools used for shoemaking and shoe repair, offering a rare glimpse into the craft before mechanized factories took over. As production shifted from small shops like this one to the massive downtown factories, Haverhill’s shoemaking industry grew into one of the most productive in the country — earning the city its famous nickname, “Queen Slipper City.”

The Daniel Hunkins Shoe Shop is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Haverhill Historical Society Historic District, alongside the Duncan House and the John Ward House.