Federal Period House

James Baldwin House // c.1785

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James Baldwin (1742-1818) lived in present-day Chester, Connecticut, and upon the outbreak of the Revolution, joined the forces of Capt. Richard Douglass’ company as a private and fought for liberty. Upon the conclusion of the war, Baldwin returned to Chester and had this house built facing the village green. The transitional late-Georgian and Federal style house has a center chimney and very simple trim with an elliptical fanlight transom over the central door. The house has a wood shingle roof, typical of the early houses of the time. Pvt. Baldwin died in 1818 and his property was inherited by his daughter, Lydia Baldwin Sawyer and her husband, David Sawyer, and later in the 19th century by their eldest daughter, Lucina Morgan, and her husband, Jonathan. The home has been meticulously preserved by the later owners, important as one of the early surviving homes near the village green.

Reeves-Goodell House // c.1816

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Built on a hill on Concord Road in Wayland, Massachusetts, the Reeves-Goodell House is a beautiful vernacular Federal period residence owned and occupied by a local builder and architect. The house was constructed by Henry Reeves (1789-1878), a local carpenter and descendant of Jacob Reeves (1720-1794) a tavern-keeper in town. In the 1920s, this property became the home of Edwin B. Goodell, Jr. (1893-1971), a prominent local architect who designed area houses before becoming a partner in the firm Andrews, Jones, Biscoe and Goodell of Boston. It was Goodell who added on the rear, three-bay addition to the residence, which blends in with the 1810s aesthetic. Interestingly, Edwin Goodell lived in this historic, vernacular house but designed some of the earliest International style modernist homes in New England.

Sibley-Bennett House // c.1818

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One of the many great old houses in Wayland, Massachusetts, is this well-proportioned Federal style residence at 30 Cochituate Road. The house was built sometime between 1818 and 1821 when owner Mark C. Sibley (1792-1876) married his first wife, Nancy Rice. Mark Sibley was the innkeeper at the Pequod Inn (no longer extant) that had served as an inn and stagecoach stop from when it was built in 1771. Mark Sibley remarried after Nancy died in 1839 and relocated to Weston. The Sibley House was acquired numerous times by real estate speculators. From 1886 until 1922, the property was owned by Anna Bennett, a widow. The five-bay, two-story Federal style house has a center entrance and six-over-six double-hung windows, all with a historically appropriate color scheme.

Dr. Amos Parker House // 1801

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Built in 1800-1801, this house on Main Street in Bolton, Massachusetts, had multiple owners in quick succession until 1806, when it was purchased by Dr. Amos Parker. Amos Parker (1777-1861) was born in Hubbardston and later moved to Bolton to work as the town’s doctor, and also served as Bolton’s first Postmaster, from an ell that was once attached to this residence. Dr. Parker and his wife, Elizabeth (Whitney,) had at least four children, who of which died as infants and two daughters remained unmarried. Elizabeth Lydia Parker (1809-1882) and Louisa Jane Parker (1812-1900) inherited their parent’s home and lived here until their deaths. Louisa worked as a teacher in Bolton schools, and was forced to remain unmarried to keep her teaching position by law. In 1904, the Parker home was acquired by the local Baptist church and occupied as a parsonage and was later sold to private owners who restored the home to its near-original condition.

Willard-Stedman Mansion // c.1760

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This stately Federal period mansion in Lancaster, Massachusetts, was originally constructed as a Georgian, two-story, five-bay house for Levi Willard (1727-1775), the son of a major landholder and descendant of one of the earliest settlers in the town. The residence is said to have been built by Levi’s cousin, Aaron Willard around 1760. Sometime after Levi’s death in 1775, the property was acquired by William Stedman (1765-1831), a notable attorney who served as town clerk of Lancaster 1795-1800, later becoming a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1802-1810. It was during Representative Stedman’s ownership that the house was remodelled into the fashionable Federal style appearance we see today, with the third floor added with shallow hip roof and classical entrance with pilasters and fanlight. In the mid-19th century, the house was operated as different boarding schools, though more information is needed. Today, the residence has been preserved and maintained as a single-family home, contributing to the charming Lancaster Center Village.

Amos Heald House // 1803

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This large brick Federal period house in Chester, Vermont, was built in 1803 and is said to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad. The large residence was built for Amos Heald (1767-1849), who was born in Concord, Massachusetts, and when just a boy of nine years, Amos witnessed the Battle of Concord kicking off the American Revolution. In about 1777, his father, Daniel Heald, moved the family to Chester, Vermont, which was then named New Flemstead, to escape the conflict. Daniel Heald acquired land near the Williams River and built a large Federal style home. He later deeded his son, Amos, land on which he too would build a residence. Amos Heald lived in this brick home and served in many positions in town until his death. The estate was bequeathed to his son, Amos Heald Jr. (1804-1873), who also served in the town offices. Locals state that Amos would shelter escaped enslaved people from the south on their way north to Canada. After his death, his son Prescott took over the property and built a wood-frame addition off the rear stables and barns, which became the town clerk’s office during his tenure, as well as the office for his insurance business. Sometime in the 19th century, the house was renovated with the addition of porches, and later, the building became the Weathervane Inn.

Jaquith Homestead // c.1820

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Erected in the 1820s by Joshua Jaquith, a prosperous mill owner who operated a sawmill and grist mill on the river directly behind his house, this residence in Andover, Vermont, exemplifies vernacular Federal period residential architecture in rural New England. The residence is said to have been carved up inside into apartments in the mid-1800s but was restored by Alden Jaquith, the third generation of the family later in the 19th century back into a single-family residence. The handsome brick home is symmetrical with a five-bay facade, 12-over-12 sash windows, and large end chimneys. Of particular note are the relief arches above first floor windows and above the door and the attached sidelight windows.

Tillinghast House // c.1800

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The Tillinghast House at 10 James Street in Providence, Rhode Island, was built around 1800 by Captain Joseph Tillinghast (1734-1816), and it was occupied by a number of his children in the early 19th century. By 1818, with Joseph already deceased, the Federal style home was owned by two of his daughters, Mary, and Amey Tillinghast, who operated a small store from the basement. The two-and-a-half-story, brick Federal house is set on a high basement all with brownstone trim at the stringcourse (between first and second stories) and at the entrance. The house was restored in the late 1970s, along with a new clapboard addition by designers, Luigi Bianco and Georgia Patterson Boomer, of Bianco/Boomer. Without nearly as much ornate detail as many other Federal style homes in the East Side area of Providence, this residence proves that high-quality materials and strong proportions can make a home truly stand out!

William Woodward House // c.1826

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Providence has some of the finest 19th century housing in New England; from the early Colonial and Federal residences to Victorian mansions, you can find hundreds of architect-designed showpieces that tell the full story of American architecture, sometimes on the same street! This is the William Woodward House at 22 James Street in the Fox Point/East Side area of Providence, built sometime between 1826-1828. The Woodward House is a landmark example of the Federal style, likely designed or inspired by local architect, John Holden Greene, which characteristic features including the hip roof with monitor, fanlight transom, and center hall plan. William Woodward Jr. (1791-1861) worked as a grocer, with a market nearby, and clearly did well for himself to afford such a home. 

Peirce Mansion // 1799

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The Peirce Mansion on Court Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is one of the finest, high-style Federal period homes in the United States. Built in 1799 for John Peirce (1746-1814), the residence is said to have been designed by Bradbury Johnson, a local carpenter and builder who was inspired by the designs of Charles Bulfinch. John Peirce began his career in the counting room of Daniel Rindge and worked in business and banking in Portsmouth. Peirce opposed the American rebellion against England but did not serve either side during the war. After the Revolution, in 1789, John Peirce was one of the leading citizens appointed to escort President George Washington around Portsmouth. The Peirce Mansion remained in the family over 150 years until it was sold by his descendants to the Middle Street Baptist Church in 1955, who extensively modified the residence to serve as a vestry and meeting space for church activities. The building was moved back from the road with the four tall chimneys were removed. Architecturally, the Peirce Mansion stands out for its massing, hip-roof with cupola adorned by a balustrade and urns, and the facade with elliptical arches, molded medallions, pilasters, and the Federal style entry treatment with fanlight transom and sidelights.