Elizabeth and Richard Mott

By the 1830s, Otis House was divided into two living spaces and the larger portion of the house was rented by Elizabeth and Richard Mott. For the Motts, the Otis House was not only their home but also their place of business from which they ran “Motts’ Patented Medicated Shampoo Bath,” an alternative medical establishment. At this location the Motts offered free medical advice, sold over the counter remedies, and treated patients with their patented steam bath cure. While popular with female patients, the Motts were not considered qualified doctors by the mainstream medical profession, which was taking hold in the neighborhood at the time.