This article lists the oldest buildings in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States of America, including the oldest houses in Massachusetts and any other surviving structures. Some dates are approximate (indicated with a "c.") and based on architectural studies and historical records, while other dates are based on dendrochronology. All entries should include citation with reference to: 17th century architectural features; a report by an architectural historian; or dendrochronology. Sites on the list are generally from the First Period of American architecture. Only First Period houses built prior to 1728 are suitable for inclusion on this list or the building must be the oldest of its type.
The Fairbanks House (built 1641) is the oldest house verified using dendrochronology, followed by the James Blake House (built in 1661), but most First Period structures in Massachusetts have not yet been tested with dendrochronology surveys.
The Fairbanks House is the oldest verified wood-frame house in North America after timbers were dated from 1637–1641 using dendrochronology. This home is largely preserved in its original state with the central complex being the oldest. Later additions (including wings, and lean-tos on the original structure) were added after 1800 as the family's descendants grew in numbers.[1][2]
The James Blake House is the oldest verified house in Boston as determined by a dendrochronology study conducted in 2007.[3][4] This structure is noteworthy as it contains West England country framing which is rarely seen in the United States.[3] In 1895, the James Blake House was moved to its present location as the city needed to make room for avenue widening.[5] The house retains the same "probable appearance" exterior as built minus two gables that were present at the front end.[3]
The Churchill House is located at 250 Sandwich Street. Beams from the oldest portion of the house were felled in the 1650s and 1661 or 1662, likely making it the oldest house in Plymouth verified with dendrochronology according to Professor J. Ritchie Garrison.[6] Before the dendrochronology study, Churchill House was surveyed in the 1960s and 1970s and believed to have been the home of John's son, Joseph Churchill, and to have been built between 1672 and 1695.[7][8]
The Pickering House is located at 18 Broad Street in the Chestnut Street District, and has been owned by the same family since it was built. Results from a dendrochronology study conducted in 2007 show that the oldest parts of the house date to the winter of 1663–1664. The extended parlour portion of the house was completed roughly 19 years later.[9] Most of the home's exterior was reworked in 1841 with Gothic Revival style features. The interior of the house has since been restored to its colonial appearance.
Shipwright Eleazer Gedney acquired the land for a house on April 20, 1664, and a construction date of 1665 was confirmed by dendrochronology in 2002.[10] While the oldest timbers date to 1664–1665, the house has since been modified to its present form. The south end lean-to (later replaced by 1800) was raised to accompany two stories in 1706, and the end wall facing the street was given a framed overhang. A complete gutting of the interior for conversion into apartments occurred before SPNEA acquired the property in 1967.[10]
The House of the Seven Gables is a National Historic Landmark. Dendrochronology studies done in 2005 dated the oldest portions of the house to 1668.[11] Later additions to the house include a lean-to and kitchen ell at the back of the house by 1693. Georgian woodwork altered the parlor wing of the original house in 1723. The back part of the original structure was removed in 1794, and in the nineteenth century the decorative gables met the same fate as they were too old fashioned.[11] These were restored along with the original 17th century appearance sometime in the early 20th century.
This seventeenth century home is also known as the "Tuttle House". Dendrochronological dating shows the earliest portions of the house were completed sometime in 1671 with later additions. The house was extended to the north a year later, and repairs were done to this extension after 1761. Physical evidence shows that two single cell one-and-one-half-story cottages were put together around a central chimney possibly as late as 1705. These structures were later raised to two stories, a lean-to and rear lateral extensions were likely added on during the 18th century.[12]
Dendrochronology confirms that Deane Winthrop built the earliest portion of his house in 1675. This original portion consists of a "single cell" structure which is two and one half stories in height. An addition to the east side was later added by Winthrop in 1695 which widened the chimney bay. The only other known modification is a lean-to spanning the four easternmost bays which was added sometime in the 18th century. There is suspicion that the foundation of the house also dates to this period based on the construction used. This would mean that the house was possibly moved to its present location.[13]
This house was originally built in Dorchester by John Capen in 1675.[14] As built, the structure consisted of an end chimney bay and a range of two side by side rooms. An additional room and chamber was added to the right of the chimney in the mid eighteenth century. Later additions were also added to the rear of the house along with a lean-to.[14] The house remained in the Capen family until 1909 when it was scheduled to be demolished. It was saved by Kenneth G. T. Webster, who purchased the house and moved it to Milton where it stood until 2006 when it was disassembled and unsuccessfully offered for sale when a new house was built on its site.[14]
The Narbonne House is located on the waterfront at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site and owned by the National Park Service. Dendrochronology conducted in 2002 dated the oldest part of the house which faces west to 1675.[15] A separate story-and-one-half building with gambrel roof was attached to the original portion of the house sometime between 1725 and 1750.[15]
The Whipple House is a National Historic Landmark which was dated using dendrochronology in 2002. The oldest parts of the house were shown to date to 1677 for a house that was two-and-one-half stories in height, featuring a facade gabble. Additions to the house have since been made which occurred in 1690, and later in 1790. The latter of these dates was a substantial addition at 24 feet in length east of the chimney that included a second facade gable. In 1928 the house was moved to its present location where it now serves as a museum.[16]
This house features one of the oldest extant examples of the principal rafter/common purlin roof.[17] The "Coffin" house (named after the original land owner) was dated using dendrochronology to 1678, with the oldest portion of the house being the south west ell. Later additions include a cross-wing on the north east side which was added in 1713.[17] The house became two official dwellings in 1785, when the Coffin brothers legally divided the structure.[18]
The earliest portion of the 2.5-story timber-frame house was built in 1678 by Benjamin Nye, and has remained in the hands of his descendants for most of the time since then. It was apparently originally built as a saltbox style house with an integral lean-to section, with the rear of the house being raise to a full two stories, probably in the 19th century. Oldest building on Cape Cod confirmed via dendrochronology.[1]
The oldest portion of the Balch house was found to date to 1680 via dendrochronology study.[19] This home was originally a single room cottage one-and-one-half stories in height, with a now removed chimney bay. Later descendants of the Balch family constructed the single room two-story southern part of the house in 1721. The original portion of the house was raised to two stories, and attached to this newer portion which created a central chimney. Modern restoration work was undertaken in 1921–1922, and again in 1961–1962.[19]
Dendrochronology shows that the earliest portion of the "Hart" house dates to 1680.[20] The house as built was originally a two-and-one half story single room plan house, with a chimney bay on the east end. An addition was later added onto the opposite side of the chimney c.1725. Restorations to the house to make it more original took place in 1902 when it was used as a guest house. The Hart House now serves as a tavern, minus a portion of the original structure that was purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the 1930s as an exhibit.[20]
The Cooper–Frost–Austin House was originally built as a single room structure with a chimney bay, and integral lean-to.[21] This two-and-one half story structure was later expanded with the addition of west rooms and lean-to behind them sometime after 1718.[21] It was around this time period that a one-story porch was also added. SPNEA acquired the house in 1912, and it was restored by architect Joseph Everett Chandler.[21]
Dendrochronology has dated the oldest portion of the Pierce House to 1683.[22] This section is now located in the middle of the house as additions were added to the two-and-one half story single room plan structure. The house was extended to the west shortly after 1712 and a lean-to was added over time on the entire back side. Further additions were added to the east end of the home in 1765. The kitchen in the west portion of the lean-to was rebuilt and extended slightly to the north in the nineteenth century.[22]
The oldest parts of 20 White Place date to 1683, according to a dendrochronology study done in 2007.[23] This home was originally built as a single room structure, and was moved in 1854 to its present location. Its estimated that during this time the exterior was given its "Italianate" appearance.[23] Several one-story additions have since been added to the rear of the building. Interior changes include space rearrangement on both stories.[23] 20 White Place is now a private residence protected through Historic New England's stewardship easement program.[24]
Formerly known as the Scotch Boardman House, the Boardman House has been dated using dendrochronology to 1692.[25] Originally the home had a two-room plan, with a typical hall-and-parlor configuration around a central chimney stack. A lean-to kitchen was added to the house by 1696, and further modifications to the interior were undertaken in the early 1700s. Other than the reconstruction of the lean-to in 1731 the house has not undergone any major changes. The Boardman House now acts as a restored museum.[25]
Dendrochronology dates the Parson Capen House to 1694, when it was originally built as the parsonage for the local Congregational Church.[27][28] It was first owned by the Reverend Joseph Capen. The Topsfield Historical Society currently operates the Parson Capen House as a museum.[29]
The earliest portion of the Dwight–Derby House is the southwest block, which has been dated to 1697 using dendrochronology.[30] An extension in the form of a cross wing was added to the east side in 1713.[30] The town of Medfield bought the Dwight-Derby House in 1996, after which restorations took place. It was reported in July 2011 that the Dwight-Derby House was 75% restored to originality.[31]
The "Old Garrison" house was dated to 1711 through dendrochronology done in 2004.[33] This test was only able to get a single core sample from a log to the left-hand end of the building due to numerous problems.[33] Local histories suggest that the house may in fact be older as an unverified date as early as 1675 has been given.
The original parts of the Robert Haskell House include the east rooms and chimney bay, which were built with an integral lean-to in 1712.[34] Dendrochronology shows that the western portion of the house was built later on another site in 1724 with an integral lean-to.[34] These two halves were joined together in Beverly at some point in time based on the side-by-side framing and differences in roof pitch. The lean-to on the east side has since been raised from its original height to two-stories.[34]
Dendrochronology confirms that a build date of 1712 coincides with the home's deed history.[35] The house as built originally consisted of hall and parlor on either side of a central chimney with two chambers and an attic above. A small lobby entry with stairs was present at the front in the central bay.[35] The Old Castle received a back lean-to long kitchen in 1792 when the home was divided by two branches of the original owner's family. Eventually, both portions of the house were purchased by the town of Rockport in 1929.[35] This house is now a museum today.
The Bardeen–Culver Barn was built no later than 1715 in West Newbury.[37] Three of the original four bays of the barn survive today with some of the reused posts dating before 1700. The barn was dismantled in 2003 and reassembled in Dedham to serve as a visitors center for the Fairbanks House.[37]
John Quincy Adams Birthplace dates to 1717 via dendrochronology, and was purchased by the Adams family in 1744.[39] This two-room plan building with a central chimney was bequeathed to John Quincy Adams in 1761.[39] An additional lean-to was added sometime in 1764 along with the door trim and secondary entrance. John Quincy Adams was born in this house in 1767, and lived in it until 1783. John Quincy Adam's Birthplace is now owned and operated as a museum by the Federal government of the United States through the National Park Service.
Oldest existing building within which a future President of the United States was born (John Adams, October 30, 1735)[40] The front portion of his birthplace was dated to 1722 by dendrochronology. Other portions of the house including the framing on the east side incorporates a number of reused timbers dating to the 1670s.[41] John Adams Birthplace is now owned and operated as a museum by the Federal government of the United States through the National Park Service.[40][41]
The earliest frontal portion of the Bellingham–Cary House dates to 1724 by dendrochronology study.[42] An extension was added to the rear of the house in 1765.[42] Further enlargements were made to the home until 1791 to create its present appearance.[43] This house is now a historic house museum which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Dendrochronology shows that the "Proctor" house was built no later than 1727.[44] This house is commonly associated with John Proctor, who was hung on August 19, 1692 in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony during the Salem Witch Trials. Historical records suggest that the house was actually built by Jon's son Thorndike as the third property on the family owned property.[45] Parts of the house date from the time of build in the 1720s to the 1900s as different families occupied the home.[44] While the Proctor House is now a private residence, the owners have shared their desire to open it up to the public.[44]
The town house was constructed in 1727 and was a replacement for the Old Meeting House on Franklin Street. The upper level of the building served as a town hall, while the lower level was originally used as a market. Today it is still used for public events, and the upper floor has the G.A.R. Museum.
Estimates
The following structures are claimed to have been built at or around the time attested.
Core of house is believed to date from as early 1634, but is now extensively renovated[46][47] and currently operated as a tavern.[48] No dendrochronology survey.
Located at 57 Lowell Road. Part of the house was purportedly an early block house and moved to the current location from elsewhere in town.[49] No dendrochronology survey.
The Richard Sparrow House is a historic house and museum at 42 Summer Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and the allegedly the oldest surviving house in Plymouth. No dendrochronology survey.
The oldest home in New England continuously owned by the same family; now a museum.[57] Dendrochronological dating was attempted in 2007, but was unsuccessful due to "many of the samples having too many narrow rings, some having too few rings, and to the lack of reference chronologies from the south-eastern part of Massachusetts."[58]
Currently located on the property at 53 Jeffrey's Neck Rd where it was moved in the twentieth century from another location: "originally located at 88–90 High Street [where it was] the earliest of the three First Period structures on the site, dating to before 1646"; House is believed to date from 1646.[63] No dendrochronology survey.
Recent dendrochronology finds trees felled in winter of 1671;[citation needed] museum site has not been updated, but cited source includes audio tour by architectural historian stating new results.[vague][attribution needed] Located on Charter Street behind the Peabody Essex Museum, the oldest continually operated museum in America. The house abuts the Witch Memorial is also next to the second oldest burying ground in America.
Also called the Jonathan Corwin House, this was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin and is the only structure still standing in Salem, Massachusetts, with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The house is now a museum operated by the City of Salem, and is open seasonally.
Also known as the Appleton House. This was part of the Saugus Iron Works, which was a major industrial complex. It has been restored and is open to the public.
Home to four generations of Quincys, including Dorothy Quincy Hancock. Maintained by Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation as well as the National Society of Colonial Dames in America in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Kimball Tavern is among the oldest buildings in Massachusetts, and one of the oldest buildings in the city of Haverhill. A plaque identifies it as the site of the founding of Bradford College in 1802.
Stanley Lake House, built in 1693, is a historic house at 95 River Road in Topsfield, Massachusetts. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Believed to have been built in 1694 by Abraham Bryant. Operated as a tavern during the Revolution by Ephraim Parker. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. No dendrochronology.
Although the house is named for its nineteenth- and early twentieth-century owner Solomon Kimball, it was built by Thomas and Mary (Solart) Kilham (or Killam). The date of construction is based on a March 6, 1695/6 timber grant to Thomas Kilham by the town of Wenham, of enough pine timber to yield 700 boards.[104]
The Cornet John Farnum Jr. House was the site of the first Uxbridge Town Meeting in 1727. The house today is a museum and headquarters of the Uxbridge Historical Society. It is an excellent example of early New England colonial architecture.
The Peak House is a first period cottage featuring peak style architecture and post-and-beam construction. It is the only freestanding structure of its kind and one of the earliest surviving examples of Post-medieval (Elizabethan) architecture in the United States.[112] First built in 1668, the original structure burned during King Philip's War in 1676 and was later reconstructed.[113]
Dendrochronology is the scientific method of dating tree rings to the exact year they were formed in a tree. As well as dating them, this can give data for dendroclimatology, the study of climate and atmospheric conditions during different periods in history from the wood of old trees. Dendrochronology derives from the Ancient Greek dendron, meaning "tree", khronos, meaning "time", and -logia, "the study of".
Plymouth County is a county in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, south of Boston. As of the 2020 census, the population was 530,819. Its county seats are Plymouth and Brockton. In 1685, the county was created by the Plymouth General Court, the legislature of Plymouth Colony, predating its annexation by the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The John Balch House, located at 448 Cabot Street, Beverly, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest wood-frame houses in the United States. It is now operated as one of the historic house museums of Historic Beverly, and open seasonally.
The James Blake House is the oldest surviving house in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The house was built in 1661 and the date was confirmed by dendrochronology in 2007. It is located at 735 Columbia Road, in Edward Everett Square, just a block from Massachusetts Avenue. The Dorchester Historical Society now owns the building and tours are given on the third Sunday of the month.
The Fairbanks House in Dedham, Massachusetts is a historic house built around 1641, making it the oldest surviving timber-frame house in North America that has been verified by dendrochronology testing. Puritan settler Jonathan Fairbanks constructed the farm house for his wife Grace and their family. It was occupied and passed down through eight generations of the family until the early 20th century. The original portion was expanded over several centuries, as architectural styles changed and the family grew.
Great Friends Meeting House is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) built in 1699 in Newport, Rhode Island. The meeting house, which is part of the Newport Historic District, is currently open as a museum owned by the Newport Historical Society.
The Deane Winthrop House is an historic house at 34 Shirley Street in Winthrop, Massachusetts. Deane Winthrop (1623–1704) was the sixth son of the second colonial governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Winthrop.
The Old Garrison House is a First Period house in Rockport, Massachusetts that has been dated through dendrochronology to at least 1711. This house is primarily constructed of tamarack logs. An ell was added onto the rear of the house in the late 18th century, and a shed-like wing was added to the west rear in the 19th century. Later in the 19th century a single story kitchen wing was added onto the ell.
The Capt. Benjamin James House is a historic First Period house, now a museum, at 301 Driftway in Scituate, Massachusetts. The oldest part of this 2+1⁄2-story timber-frame house was built c. 1700 by Captain Benjamin James. During the 18th century it was enlarged to its present five-bay saltbox configuration. After James' death in 1788, the house was used by the town as a "pest house", isolating smallpox victims there.
The Benjamin Abbot House or Abbot Homestead is a historic house at 9 Andover Street in Andover, Massachusetts, USA. The house was built in 1711. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The Gedney and Cox Houses are historic houses at 21 High Street in Salem, Massachusetts. The earliest part of the Gedney House was built c. 1665, and the houses were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. They are owned by Historic New England, which offers limited tours.
Williams–Barker House is an historic building on Barker Road in Scituate, Massachusetts. The core of house is believed to date from 1634 when it was constructed by John Williams who had emigrated from England. The construction date of the building has not yet been verified through dendrochronology.
This article attempts to list the oldest houses built in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, from 1660 to 1679. These are known as First Period houses of the early to mid–second generation as they were built by the children of the first settlers in the Massachusetts Bay colony. During this time, buildings in New England were increasingly designed and built by regionally trained carpenters and were only occasionally influenced by new immigrant craftsmen. These structures have highly decorated wooden frames and are structurally more complex than the previous surviving generation of houses. While many existing homes are thought to have been built between 1660 and 1679, scientifically proving their age is another matter. Of the 78 houses on this list, just 11 have been proven through dendrochronology. The rest of the examples are approximate and based on architectural studies and historical records. Only First-period houses built before 1679 by the second generation are suitable for inclusion on this list.
This article attempts to list the oldest houses built in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States from settlement to 1659. The first immigrant houses built in the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colony are known as first generation structures. These were built upon settlement (1620) until about 1660 "when the first immigrant generation of preponderantly younger settlers had come to full maturity". While dozens of existing homes are thought to have been built before 1660, proving their age scientifically is another matter. Just one example built during this time period known as the Fairbanks House has been proven through dendrochronology. The rest of the examples are approximate and based on architectural studies and historical records. Its estimated that only five houses in total have been documented enough to firmly establish they were built during this time period. Only First Period houses built prior to 1660 are suitable for inclusion on this list as construction methods changed circa 1660. All entries should include citation with reference to: 17th century architectural features; a report by an architectural historian; or dendrochronology whenever possible.
Churchill House is a historic seventeenth-century house located at 250 Sandwich Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts.
↑ RICHARD M. CANDEE, "A Documentary History of Plymouth Colony Architecture, 1620-1700", Old-Time New England, Volume LX, No. 2 October-December 1969, Serial No. 218, pg. 48, 52
↑ NRHP nomination for Bellingham-Cary House. File Unit: National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: Massachusetts, 1964–2012. National Archive. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
↑ William Thomas Davis, Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth: Part I. Historical Sketch and Titles of Estates. Part II. Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families, Volumes 1–2 (A. Williams, 1887), 177–178
↑ LOCATING 17TH CENTURY HOMESITES IN DUXBURY: A preliminary Assessment Prepared by Craig S. Chartier, Plymouth Archaeological Rediscovery Project, for The Duxbury Rural and Historical Society
↑ NRHP nomination for Hoar Tavern. File Unit: National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: Massachusetts, 1964–2012. National Archive. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
↑ "William Murray House". Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
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