Historic Homes Of New England - free ebook by Mary Harrod Northend

BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1914

Copyright, 1914, By Little, Brown, and Company ....

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PREFACE

The study of old houses grows in interest with each additional discovery of good material, such as can be found in the old New England towns and cities, more especially those along the seacoast. The preservation of these old houses has done much to give us correct ideas of the interiors, though many of these, with the change of owners, have been stripped of their colonial furnishings. Most of the houses that are shown in this book are private homes which have been opened by the owners to allow p

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HOMES OF LONG AGO

Scattered here and there throughout the South, the Middle West, and the New England States, we find the homes of long ago standing as mute witnesses and representatives of periods in our country's settlements that have become historical. We come across them by the wayside, when driving along country roads, or we catch glimpses of them at the end of grassy lanes, surrounded by pleasant meadows, while others, jutting in between twentieth century houses in our large cities, serve to link the old da

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THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES

The visitor to Salem has no difficulty in finding the House of the Seven Gables, for any one can direct him there, and he is waylaid by boys who wish to guide him to it. His way lies through what was once the court end of the town. This quarter, long since deserted by fashion—its fine old houses are now turned into tenements—still retains enough of its ancient state to arouse the visitor's interest. So his mind is in a most receptive mood when a final corner takes him into Turner Street, and he

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THE PICKERING HOUSE

It is doubtful if any other historic home in New England can boast, as does the Pickering house situated in Salem, Massachusetts, of being in the direct line of a family for nine generations. This family originated in Yorkshire, England. John Pickering, the founder of the Salem branch, was born in old England in 1614; he came to the colonies and lived in Ipswich from 1634 to 1636. In the early part of 1636 he came to Salem, and on December 7, 1636, John Pickering, carpenter, was granted to be an

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"THE LINDENS"

Nowhere in American history is there a colonial home more closely linked with England than is "The Lindens," for here it was that Governor Gage, during his sojourn in the colonies, made his official home. This house, situated at Danvers, Massachusetts, was erected in or about 1770. The exact year is not definitely known, as at that early period the records were scanty, but about this time the mansion, which is now standing, was built by one Robert Hooper, a rich Marblehead merchant, who was thou

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THE ROGERS HOUSE

There was built in Peabody, Massachusetts, in the early part of the nineteenth century, one of the most magnificent colonial homes of the period. It still stands, a large, pretentious, two-storied house, known as "Oak Hill" and the summer residence of Mrs. Jacob C. Rogers. The house itself is in the center of well laid out grounds, being placed far back from the road and showing at the front a wide stretch of lawn interspersed with trees, one of which, a purple beech, is among the tallest and la

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THE COLONEL JEREMIAH LEE HOUSE

Of the many noted colonial houses found in New England, one of the most distinguished is the Colonel Jeremiah Lee house situated on Washington Street, in the picturesque old town of Marblehead, Massachusetts. The quaintness of Marblehead, situated on a rocky peninsula, is world renowned; and its name heads the list of patriotic towns in New England, for from its rugged shores went forth a larger majority of soldiers than from any other place of its size in our country. The celebrated Lee mansion

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THE LADD-GILMAN HOUSE

Closely linked with romance and history is the Ladd-Gilman house, one of the notable colonial houses at Exeter, New Hampshire. This mansion was not always of its present dimensions. When built by Nathaniel Ladd in 1721 it was of brick and about half the size of the present structure. It is situated on a large area of land, with a frontage on Water Street, on a part of the original lot that was purchased of Oliphalet Coffin in the year above mentioned. For many years this estate was held in the p

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THE ADAMS HOUSE

One of the first settlers at Newbury, Massachusetts, was one Henry Sewall, who came over from England in 1634, bringing with him cattle, servants, and provisions. He was allotted six hundred acres of upland and marsh land at Newbury, according to agreement made before he left his native country. This land bordered the river Parker, near what is now known as Byfield proper, a fertile, woodland country with rolling hills and rich land. He married Jane Dummer, settling later on the grant of land th

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THE SPENCER-PIERCE HOUSE

An unusually picturesque location has the Spencer-Pierce house at Newbury, Massachusetts, which stands at the end of a long, grassy lane, leading off from the main road not far above the old town church. The house itself is unique and forms a fascinating study for architects in its fine state of preservation, its beauty enhanced by overhanging vines. Old houses are like open books, disclosing by their type to what period they belong, and it is interesting to find one that stands out so distinctl

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THE GOVERNOR DUMMER MANSION

Richard Dummer, emigrant ancestor of the family of that name, came to America in 1632, joining the little company who were banded together at Massachusetts Bay in 1632. His first residence was in Roxbury, but he removed afterwards to Boston. While here, he became interested in starting a stock farm, in which venture he was joined by two other prominent citizens named Richard Saltonstall and Henry Sewall, the ancestor of the chief justice who bore that name. When looking about for a suitable plac

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THE MACPHAEDRIS-WARNER HOUSE

One of the noted houses in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is the Warner house. This is a large brick mansion of ample dimensions, which stands at the corner of Daniel and Chapel Streets, and has the distinction of being the oldest brick residence in town. It must be remembered that the use of brick in house-building was not extensively carried out in the colonies, even as late as the early nineteenth century. Occasionally we find houses where brick was used to cover the frame, outside of which was a

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THE WENTWORTH HOUSE

One of the most historic houses in New Hampshire is situated at Little Harbor, about two miles from the city of Portsmouth. It was built in the latter sixteenth century, or early seventeenth, the exact date not being known, for the records of the early days were carelessly kept, so that there is nothing legible to determine the time of its erection. The houses that were built during this period are generally of such a distinct type that there is little or no difficulty in placing them and ascert

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THE FRANKLIN PIERCE HOUSE

In the little town of Hillsboro, New Hampshire, stand two notable houses. One of them was formerly the home of Governor Benjamin Pierce, while the other was occupied by his son, Franklin Pierce, who was the fourteenth president of the United States. Both houses are in a good state of preservation, the former being used as a village inn, while the latter, still filled with interesting mementoes connected with the life of President Pierce, is now occupied by his nephew, Mr. Kirk Pierce. These hous

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THE SAVORY HOUSE

We turn to old houses as we turn to old books—for information—for inside old mansions is generally a wealth of furniture and china, the history of which has a never-dying charm to the collector and the lover of the antique. These houses are rapidly passing away, and it is only now and then that we come across one where furniture may be found that covers the periods between the Chippendale and the Empire. One of these old houses, in which there is an especially rich collection of antiques, is fou

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THE STARK MANSION

There is no more fascinating study, both for historian and architect, than that of colonial houses: homes that represent an epoch-making period in our country's history. They are the dividing line between the early days and the period when we ceased to be colonists, the time when we secured a firm footing in the land we have made our country. One of these old houses stands not many miles from Concord, New Hampshire. This is the Stark mansion at Dunbarton, a colonial house which is of especial in

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THE SALTONSTALL HOUSE

One of the most distinguished of Haverhill families was and is the Saltonstall family, who are first mentioned in the history of that town through Nathaniel, who was born at Ipswich and who came to Haverhill and married Elizabeth, the daughter of John Ward, December 28, 1663; from this union are descended all the people of that name in America. Saltonstall is spoken of by Sewall in his diary, where he tells of "Son Saltonstall comforting me on account of his father-in-law's health;" and Whittier

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THE DALTON HOUSE

Because of the distinctive place that houses of the middle period hold in the present architectural world, architects from all over the country are now looking for specimens of these dwellings to which they may turn for copy. The master builders of that time knew well their art, and their work is characteristic of us as a nation. Houses of that period, while comparatively similar in type to those of the old world, yet show enough variation to make them interesting, and stand in favorable compari

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THE KITTREDGE HOUSE

Among the most prominent delegates to the convention that was summoned by the Legislature to meet in Boston, in 1787, to take under consideration the perfecting of the National Constitution, we find heading the list one Doctor Thomas Kittredge of North Andover, a prominent gentleman and one whose loyalty has never been questioned. North Andover lies to the north of the town of that name and was originally known as the North Parish. It was divided from the original town in 1709. Previous to that

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THE ROYALL HOUSE

The types of mansions described in this book are found not only in New England but through the South. They show marked differences, which give to them picturesqueness and absence of monotony in build. In studying these homes, we must remember that master carpenters were steadily gaining opportunities to brighten their wits by books dealing with architecture, which were being imported into the colonies. We must also remember that increase of wealth had brought about more advantages, and that the

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THE LONGFELLOW HOUSE

With the exception of Mount Vernon, there is perhaps no house better known in America than the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow house at Cambridge, Massachusetts, its reputation having been gained from the fact that it was the home of the late distinguished and beloved poet. Here have come most illustrious guests from all over the world, and under the roof-tree was given to Longfellow the theme for his famous poem of Evangeline, during a visit of Horace Conelly and of Nathaniel Hawthorne. There are fe

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THE QUINCY MANSION

Long years ago before our country was thickly settled, and when our forefathers extracted from the soil a scanty living, the houses were simple little ones, often built with only four rooms. It was in such a house as this that William Coddington made his early home. It was delightfully situated, close to the bank of Black Brook, and surrounded by overhanging trees. In 1635 William Coddington and his fellow associates received a grant of five hundred acres at Braintree, now Quincy, Massachusetts,

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"HEY BONNIE HALL"

As a nation Americans have grown to feel a deep reverence for the homes of their ancestors, those stately colonial houses that were erected during the period of commercial prosperity. These mansions were built from about the middle of the sixteenth to the early part of the seventeenth century. Recently a wave of sentiment has swept through the country, awakening a desire to save the old mansions, many of which were fast falling into decay. Prominent among those which have been preserved is "Hey

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