William Boardman House
17 Howard St.
Saugus, Mass. 01906

Although I mentioned the William Boardman House several years ago on this blog, I had actually never been inside the home. So I just recently decided to take advantage of a open house held by Historic New England  and toured the property.

      The Boardman house was built in 1692 on 300 acres in what was then a very isolated part of Lynn. William Boardman was from a prominent Cambridge family, his father was a town selectman and trustee of Harvard College.

      Originally built as a four room, two and a half story home with two bedrooms, a hall and a parlor. The house lacked a kitchen. An addition to the rear of the house was added a few years later to make up for this deficit. There is an existing privy behind the house but this is from a much later period.

     The house was built by a professional builder hired by Boardman. This was the usual practice among the early Puritan settlers in Massachusetts who were after all from well established communities in England. Homes of this type were quite common in East Anglia at this time.

    Years ago this house was misidentified and thought to be a much earlier structure. At that time it was known at the Scotch/Boardman House and it was believed that Scottish indentured servants lived in the house and worked at the nearby Saugus Iron Works. Later analysis of the age of the Boardman House proved that this was not the case.

     The Boardman House remained in the same family until 1911 when the property was purchased by a developer and it may have passed into history except for the efforts of William Sumner Appleton, the founder of what is now Historic New England. Recognizing the importance of the Boardman House, Appleton purchased the home along with some adjoining property and saved this late 17th home for prosperity.
   

Elmwood

Elmwood

33 Elmwood Avenue

Cambridge, Mass.

Currently owned by Harvard University, Elmwood, this Georgian mansion in Cambridge, has had ties to Harvard College throughout its almost 250 year history. Elmwood was built in 1767 by Thomas Oliver, a wealthy merchant born in Antigua who graduated from Harvard College in 1753. Appointed by King George III to the position of Lt. Governor of Massachusetts, he left Cambridge in 1774 for Boston as revolutionary fervor swept the colony. His home was confiscated by Revolutionary authorities. Oliver died in Brighton, England in 1815.

In 1787 Elbridge Gerry bought the estate, which included some 34 acres attached to the "homestead". Elbridge Gerry, born in Marblehead, Mass. , was also a graduate of Harvard College. He was an important member of the First and Second Continental Congress during the Revolution, signed the Declaration of Independence, was a diplomat and served as Governor of Massachusetts. In March 1813 he took the oath of office for Vice-President of the United States here at Elmwood. He died in 1814.

James Russell Lowell was born at Elmwood on 22 February 1819. Lowell, a famous poet and diplomat, lived most of his life at Elmwood. A graduate of both Harvard University and Harvard Law School, he was also a Professor of Languages at Harvard. Like his fellow Cantabrigian and friend, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Lowell often wrote about Cambridge and its environs in his poetry. Elmwood was also a frequent topic. Unfortunately, much as he loved his home and property, over time he was forced to sell off a good portion of the estate to meet his financial needs. Lowell died in 1891.

Elmwood is currently occupied by the President of Harvard and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Phineas Upham House Tour

Phineas Upham House

255 Upham Rd.

Melrose, Mass.

Recently the caretaker of the Phineas Upham house was kind enough to give me a tour of the property. Three rooms in the house have been restored to their 18th-century appearance and have been decorated with many original family artifacts.

The "great room" and an adjoining room on the first floor both have the large fireplaces typical of First Period homes. This is where much of the family cooking was done. The bedroom upstairs is furnished with a four poster bed and also has some family memorabilia on display. The original beams are exposed throughout the house and the rooms are comfortably sized with 7 foot (approx.) ceilings. The Upham house was built in 1703 and is still owned by lineal descendants of Phineas Upham. The property is managed as a non-profit entity and is open to the public on a limited basis for tours.

Grand Re-Opening for Hancock-Clarke House

Hancock-Clarke House
36 Hancock St.
Lexington, Mass.

The Lexington Historical Society will conduct a grand re-opening celebration for the Hancock-Clarke House in Lexington on Sunday May 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The property has just undergone a year long extensive renovation. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2:00 p.m. and tours of the house will be conducted. Everyone is invited to attend.

George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate

Mount Vernon
3200 Mt. Vernon Memorial Highway
Mount Vernon, Va.

If the old saying, "home is where the heart is" is true, then George Washington's Mount Vernon estate in Virginia is certainly where his heart could be found.

Originally built in 1757 (upon the foundations of an earlier farmhouse) Mount Vernon is beautifully situated on a bluff overlooking the Potomac River. It was given the name Mount Vernon by Washington's older half-brother Lawrence in honor of British Admiral Edward Vernon.

The mansion and the surrounding outbuildings were extensively renovated throughout Washington's life. Through inheritance, purchase and his marriage to the widower Martha Custis, George Washington eventually became the proprietor of five farms comprising some 8,000 acres of land. Washington spent much of his life overseeing all aspects of the management of his property, determining what crops to grow, hiring artisans and managers, landscaping and later in life, deciding to have a grist mill and distillery built.

Called away to serve his country in the American Revolution (1775-1783) and as the nations first President (1789-1797) Washington gratefully returned to Mount Vernon and spent his last years there. He died on December 14, 1799 after a brief illness and is buried in the family tomb on the estate alongside his wife Martha.

After his death Mount Vernon was not as ably managed and over time the mansion itself fell into disrepair and much of the property was sold off or given to family members. By the 1850's Mount Vernon was desperately in need of new ownership. The property was offered for sale to both the Federal government and the State of Virginia, both of whom declined.

Ann Pamela Cunningham of South Carolina subsequently founded the Mount Vernon Ladies Association in 1853 and in 1858 the Association purchased Mount Vernon, along with 200 acres, from George Washington's heirs. Mount Vernon was given much needed repairs and was first opened to the public in 1860. Since that time George Washington's Mount Vernon has been owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association as a non-profit organization operating under the public trust.

Mount Vernon is open to the public 365 days of the year and in addition to tours of the mansion and the grounds, there are shops, a food court, restaurant, a visitors center and museum. Parking is free.

Jason Russell House Reenactment

Jason Russell House
7 Jason St.
Arlington, Mass.

This Sunday (April 19) from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. there will be an reenactment of the brutal fighting that took place at the Jason Russell house, in what is now Arlington, on April 19, 1775. On that date eleven members of the Colonial militia and two British Regulars were killed on the property. Jason Russell was among those killed. This event is being hosted by the Arlington Historical Society and the Menotomy Minutemen.

Barrett Farm

Barrett Farm
448 Barret's Mill Road
Concord, Mass.

There will be an open house at Barrett Farm in Concord this Sunday and Monday (April 19-20) from 10 to 3 p.m. This historic farm house, built in 1720, was home to Col. Barrett of the Middlesex Militia on 19 April 1775 when British Regulars searched his property for military munitions and stores. The household had already been warned of the approaching soldiers and had managed to hide gunpowder and even some brass cannon in the newly plowed fields. Col. Barrett led his men in an attack against the Regulars at the North Bridge and "the shot heard round the world" was fired.

Legislation was passed in the Senate March 30 to allow Minute Man National Historical Park to extend its boundaries and to purchase the Barrett Farm and other nearby properties. This Friday various dignitaries, including Congresswoman Tsongas, will be at Barrett Farm to celebrate the new legislation. The public is invited. These stories here.

The Barrett Farm is currently undergoing extensive renovations and is owned and operated by the Save Our Heritage, Inc. .

Phineas Upman House

The Phineas Upham House
255 Upham Road
Melrose, Mass.

The Phineas Upham House is a Colonial Salt box style home built in 1703 in what was then called North Malden. Phineas Upham was a descendant of John Upham who arrived in Boston in 1635.

At one time in the early 1900's the house served as a "Tea Room" that offered on its menu light refreshments, lunches and "six o'clock suppers".

With the aid of a $400,000 grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commision, in the past few years the property has undergone extensive renovations. A new barn, built using the old joint and mortice style, was added to the property in 2007. That story here.

The Phineas Upham House is owned and maintained by the Upham Family Trust, an organization with over two hundred members nation wide. The property is listed with the
National Register of Historical Places.

Boardman House

Boardman House
17 Howard St.
Saugus, Mass. 01906

The Boardman House in Saugus is an excellent and rare example of a surviving first period home. Built by William Boardman in 1692, many of its original features are still intact. The home is registered as a National Historic Landmark and is owned and maintained by Historic New England . The house is open to the public for tours six days a year. The next public tour will be on Saturday June 6 from 11:00 to 3:00 p.m. when admission to the house will be free.

Isaac Hall House

Isaac Hall House
43 High St.
Medford, Mass.

This historic building on High St. in Medford was built in 1720 and was home to Captain Isaac Hall, the company commander of the Medford Minute Men in 1775. Paul Revere stopped here on the night of 18 April 1775 and awoke Capt. Hall, warning him that the "Regulars" were out.

Here is the stanza from Longfellow's famous poem "Paul Revere's Ride", that describes Revere passing through Medford that evening:

It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer's dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.

This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The Isaac Hall house is currently the site of the Gaffey Funeral Home.

The Hartwell Tavern

The Hartwell Tavern
Minute Man Nat. Historical Park
Marrett Rd. (Rt. 2A)
Lincoln, Mass.

The Hartwell Home and Tavern, located in MMNHP in Lincoln, was built by Ephraim Hartwell in 1732-33. Situated right on Battle Road on April 19, 1775 British Regulars passed by the tavern both going to Concord and on the way back to Boston. The Hartwell Tavern has been restored by the National Park Service to its original 18th. century appearance.

The Golden Ball Tavern

Golden Ball Tavern
662 Boston Post Road
Weston, Mass. 02493
781-894-1751

The Golden Ball Tavern in Weston was built in 1768 and was operated as a tavern on the old Boston Post Road from 1770 -1793. The original owner, Isaac Jones, was an important man in his community but in 1775 he was also a well-known Tory.

In February of 1775 Isaac gave tea and comfort to two British Army officers, Captain John Brown and Ensign Henry De Berniere along with their "batman" John, who had been sent out of Boston by General Gage on a secret mission to scout the countryside. Gen. Gage was seeking intelligence on the state of the roads in anticipation of sending an expeditionary force either to Concord or Worcester to seize colonial stores of powder and arms.

Having almost been discovered and captured in their mission, returning from Worcester in a winter storm the three men again received the hospitality of the Golden Ball's tavern keeper. He allowed the men to warm up and get some rest before guiding them back onto the road to Boston. Jones later had a change of heart and became a supporter of independence and worked for the Continental Army during the Revolution.

The Golden Ball Tavern remained in the Jones family until the 1960's when the Golden Ball Tavern Trust was established. The Tavern is open for tours (by appointment only) and for special events, such as their annual outdoor antique show and sale. A more complete history of the Tavern is told here.

Tea for Two...

Hancock-Clarke House
36 Hancock St.
Lexington, Mass.

The Lexington Historical Society is offering what they are calling a Once-in-a-Lifetime opportunity to dine at the historic 1737 Hancock-Clarke house in Lexington. As part of a fund raising effort to support the recent extensive renovation of the property, the Historical Society is opening the house on Sunday March 29 from 3 to 5 p.m. to a limited number of people. Participants will have the opportunity to tour the home and enjoy gourmet tea and finger food in the Rev. Clarke's dining room or the Hancock-Adams room. Tickets are $75 for members, $85 for non-members. Call 781-862-1703 for reservations.

Wadsworth House

Wadsworth House
1341 Mass. Ave.
Cambridge, Mass. 02138

Wadsworth House was built in 1726-1727 to house the Presidents of Harvard College. Its first occupant was Benjamin Wadsworth, Harvard's eighth President. A total of nine Harvard Presidents have lived in the home. Edward Everett, the last President to reside here, was President of Harvard from 1846 - 1849.

In July of 1775 General George Washington arrived in Cambridge to accept his new appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Gen. Washington stayed briefly in Wadsworth House while more spacious accommodations were cleaned and prepared for him. Washington and his "family" moved into the Vassal-Craigie-Longfellow house that same month.

Located right in the middle of bustling Harvard Square, Wadsworth House is a throwback to the past, a reminder of what the village of Old Cambridge looked like in the 18th century. A quiet village where on nearby Brattle Street you might find the blacksmith (or smithy) of Longfellow's famous poem The Village Blacksmith.

Wadsworth House is currently used by Harvard University for faculty and administrative offices.

Col. Glover's Regiment returns to Cambridge

Longfellow House
National Historic Site

105 Brattle St.

Cambridge, Mass. 02138

Saturday afternoon, after a 233 year hiatus, Col. John Glover's Marblehead Regiment returned to Longfellow's House in Cambridge and set up camp. The last time the Glover's were encamped here was in 1775 when General George Washington was living here and the Glover's were serving as the Headquarters Guard.

Col. Glovers Regiment of colonial militia made up part of the 16,000 man force that had answered the call after the fighting of April 19, 1775 and were holding Boston and its occupying British forces in a stage of siege. Besides serving as the Headquarters Guard, the Glover's were a "rapid response" unit ready to reinforce any part of the siege lines that fell under attack.

Deciding he needed a naval force to raid British supply vessels, Gen. Washington again made use of the Glover's. The regiment was a mixed group, largely made up of sailors and fisherman, which made it the perfect choice for this mission. Detached from duty in Cambridge, they established a naval raiding force in Beverly, Mass., which included Col. Glover's own schooner, the Hannah.

In December of 1775 Glovers Regiment was disbanded and Col. Glover was ordered to begin recruiting troops for his new Regiment, the 14th Continental Regiment. Col. Glover and the 14th Regiment went on to serve throughout the war and provided much needed amphibious and marine capabilities to the Continental Army.

In August of 1776, in a heavy fog, the 14th Regiment ferried the brunt of the Continental Army from Brooklyn to New York, saving them from certain defeat and capture. Again on Christmas Day in 1776 they rowed Gen. Washington and his troops across the Delaware, in poor weather conditions, to attack a Hessian force at Trenton, New Jersey. Taking part in the fighting, they then ferried the victorious Americans back across the Delaware, along with the prisoners they had taken.

The recreated Col. Glover's Regiment is based in Marblehead, Massachusetts. In addition to attending various Revolutionary War reenactments, they are well known for their boisterous annual (every July) weekend encampment held at Fort Sewall, Marblehead.

Col. Joshua Herndon Tavern

Col. Joshua Harnden Tavern
430 Salem St.
Wilmington, Ma.

This Tavern was built by Col. Joshua Harnden (1732-1807) ca. 1770 and operated as a Public Tavern from 1794-1807. Col. Harnden was a Revolutionary War veteran who had answered the alarm of April 19, 1775 and fought at Lexington. In 1818 Silas Brown bought the property and operated it as a farm. The farm at one time had several large outbuildings and much more land than the present day property. The Browns kept the family farm for some 125 years. During the 19th century it is believed that the farm served as way-station on the Underground Railroad for escaped slaves heading north to Canada.

In 1973 the main building was in disrepair and slated for demolition. Recognising its historical importance the Town of Wilmington took the property by eminent domain. The Joshua Harnden Tavern is registered on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Wilmington Historical Society now runs the Tavern as a museum and has tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There is also agricultural machinery and reproductions of Colonial Militia flags on display in the carriage house adjacent to the Tavern.

Longfellow House - Cambridge, Mass.

Longfellow House
105 Brattle St.
Cambridge, Mass. 02138

The Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow House was built in 1759 by John Vassall, a wealthy planter and a Loyalist. Like many of his neighbors on Brattle St. he left Cambridge for Boston in 1774 as the politics of the day forced him to choose sides. His home was then confiscated by Provincial/Revolutionary authorities.

General George Washington began using the Vassall house as his headquarters after arriving in Cambridge and assuming command of the Continental Army in 1775. He resided here from July, 1775 to April of 1776 and it was from here that he planned and led the siege of Boston. When the British Navy finally sailed out of Boston (along with approximately 1100 Loyalists) the war then moved on to New York and General Washington went south.

After the war Andrew Craigie, who was the Apothecary General of the Continental Army, purchased the Vassall home and lived here from 1791. Craigie was a wealthy real estate speculator and made a lot of improvements to the property. It was Craigie who added on the wings to the home and added an addition onto the back. Craigie lost his fortune and after that the house fell on bad times, eventually being broken up into rooms for rent.

In 1837 the home was purchased as a wedding gift and it's most famous literary occupant moved in - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Longfellow, originally of Portland, Maine, was a Professor of Modern Languages at Harvard College. Living in such an historic home certainly inspired Longfellow and it is reflected in his works. One of his most famous poems is "Paul Revere's Ride", which tells the tale of the events that occurred locally April 18-19 in 1775. Longfellow lived here until his death
in 1882.

The Longfellow House can be found just outside of Harvard Square and is owned and managed by the National Park Service. From June 4 to September house tours are offered @ 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and on the hour from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The grounds are open to the public from dawn to dusk. (The property at one time extended as far as the Charles River).

The Jason Russell House

The Jason Russell House
7 Jason St.
Arlington, Mass.

This 18th century home is best known for the fighting that took place here on the afternoon of April 19, 1775. After engagements that morning on Lexington Green and at the North Bridge in Concord the remnants of a 700-man expeditionary force of British soldiers and Marines, along with a relief force of an additional 1,000 troops, were attempting to make their way back to Boston.

Thousands of militia from the surrounding communities, many in organized companies, but some coming singly or in small groups, were laying in ambush all along their route. A mixed group of militia, including men from as far away as Woburn and Danvers, decided to make their stand at the Russell homestead.

As they proceeded along Concord Road (what is now Mass. Ave.) the British Regulars sent out flankers to clear the houses that lined the road of any opposition. This brutal house to house fighting resulted in the deaths of many in Menotomy (present-day Arlington) and Cambridge.

Here at the Russell homestead British Light Infantry engaged the militia in some of the bitterest fighting of the day. Jason Russell was bayoneted several times and died just outside his home. Ten other men of the militia, including seven men from Danvers, also perished as well as two British soldiers.

Members of the Russell family lived here until 1896. It is now owned and operated by the Arlington Historical Society.