massachusetts homes

Deborah Sampson Gannett Farmhouse // c.1790

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Deborah Sampson (1760-1827) was born in Plympton, Massachusetts, and after a troubled childhood, she worked as an indentured servant until the age of 18. She subsequently worked as a teacher during the summer, though she had little in the way of formal education. In the early 1780s, Deborah tried to disguise herself in men’s clothing and enlist in the military to fight against the British forces. She was rebuffed but tried again under the name Robert Shirtliff (sometimes spelled Shurtleff) and this time was successful. Deborah was described as being exceptionally tall, plain looking, and masculine in appearance and mannerisms. She spent at least 17 months as a combat soldier and participated in several skirmishes and sustained multiple injuries. She was reportedly hit by musket fire in the summer of 1782 but refused medical treatment for a leg injury due to fears that her true identity would be discovered. Sampson is said to have extracted one piece of shrapnel from her leg by herself; another remained in her body for the rest of her life. Sampson’s time as a Revolutionary fighter came to a halt a few months before the end of the war, after she fell ill in Philadelphia and a doctor realized that Shurtleff was, in fact, a woman. Sampson received an honorable discharge and went back to Massachusetts. She married Benjamin Gannett (1757–1837), a farmer, on April 7, 1785, and the couple moved to this farmhouse in Sharon, Massachusetts, where she lived the remainder of her life as a farmer’s wife. After Deborah Sampson died at the age of 66, her husband petitioned Congress to receive a pension as the widower of a Revolutionary veteran. A committee ultimately decided to award him the money, concluding that the war had “furnished no other similar example of female heroism, fidelity and courage.” She was the only woman to earn a full military pension for participation in the Revolutionary army. The Deborah Sampson Gannett Farmhouse is a private residence.

Aaron Fisher House // 1805

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The Aaron Fisher House on North Main Street in Sharon, Massachusetts, has stood over 220 years as the town’s finest example of Federal style residential architecture. The residence was built for Aaron Fisher (1762-1809) who is said to have had the house built of brick that was brought over to the United States from England as ballast on a ship and later made its way to Sharon for use as walls of this stately house. While the brick is slight different color than many other local bricks, this may be another example of an urban legend. In the mid-19th century, the house was modernized with an entry porch and brackets at the cornice, and is said to have been painted yellow. Luckily for us, the porch and paint have since been removed and the 1805 house shines once again on the town’s Main Street.

Darius Lothrop House // c.1830

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Located on North Main Street in Sharon, Massachusetts, the Darius Lothrop House stands as a unique late-Georgian style residence built of locally quarried stone. Darius Lothrop (1777-1841) is said to have built the large, two-story house in the 1830s and resided here until his death in 1841. The Lothrop House retains its large gambrel roof, center entry set within the stonework, splayed lintels over the first floor windows, and twin shed dormers.

George P. Lawrence Summer House // 1897

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

On the eastern shore of Lake Massapoag in Sharon, Massachusetts, the George P. Lawrence Summer House is an excellent and rare preserved example of a late 19th century Victorian summer house in the suburban town. The residence was built in 1897 for George Pelton Lawrence (1859-1917) and his wife, Belle, as a summer retreat from their primary residence in North Adams in Western Massachusetts. George P. Lawrence was an attorney who was appointed as a district court judge before entering the political arena where he became a state senator. The couple spent summers at this beautiful Shingle/Colonial Revival style residence until Congressman Lawrence’s death in 1917. On November 21, 1917, Lawrence jumped out of his eighth-floor New York City window at the Hotel Belmont , committing suicide. In his room, he left a note saying that he “could not stand the pressure anymore”. The Sharon property remained in the family until the 1940s and has been modernized, while maintaining its character. 

Timothy Quinn House // 1892

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The Timothy Quinn House on South Main Street in Sharon, Massachusetts, is an extravagant example of the Queen Anne style that maintains its flourish and ornate details. The residence was built in 1892 for Timothy Francis Quinn (1863-1934), a first-generation Irish resident who owned and managed a shipping business with his brother, John. Timothy Quinn was active in local affairs and with the local Catholic church and historical society. After his death in 1934, the property was inherited by his wife, Elizabeth, and later by their daughter, Esther. Architecturally, the Quinn House has an irregular plan and features varied siding, brackets, a tower capped by a conical roof, and elaborate porch, all painted to highlight the many unique details. 

General Oliver Pond House – Wrentham State Hospital Superintendent’s House // c.1790

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

This Federal period house in Wrentham, Massachusetts, has had quite the history from the residence of a Revolutionary War veteran to the superintendent’s house for a school for the insane. This five-bay Federal style house was built for Oliver Pond (1737-1822) in about 1790. General Pond commanded one of the five militias in Wrentham that marched on Boston in 1775 to fight in the Revolution. Pond fought in at least two battles in Princeton and Trenton New Jersey under Washington. After the War, Oliver Pond got involved with politics and became General of the local militia granting him this important title. His heirs remained in the house into the second half of the 19th century. In the early 1900s, the property was purchased by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as part of the new Wrentham State School, a facility to treat and educate children with disabilities. The Pond House was occupied by the superintendent of the school and is still owned by the State.

Follett House // c.1820

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

A rare surviving half-cape dwelling, the Follett House on Chestnut Street in Wrentham, Massachusetts, has been lovingly preserved by generations of stewards as a private home. Given its form and vernacular style, the house could date to the mid-18th century, but available early records show it was owned by members of the Follett family in the 19th century. The home was owned by Amorous Follett (1792-1863) and his wife, Huldah Mason Follett who operated a farm on the property and raised their children in the small residence. The property was later inherited by the couple’s son, Alonzo Follett and his wife, Tryphena. The half cape is just three bays wide with a steeply pitched side gable roof, shingled siding, and later wings, expanding the original house.

Philander P. Cook House // 1847

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Built in 1847 as a residence for local Postmaster and storeowner, Philander P. Cook, this historic house off West Street in West Wrentham, Massachusetts, showcases the evolution so many New England farmhouses have experienced, from working farm, to country retreat, to suburban residence. Philander Perry Cook (1816-1880) purchased this land in 1845 from prominent Massachusetts State Senator and local government official, Alan Tillinghast, and shortly after purchase, he began construction of this Greek Revival style, two-story residence with attached stable. At the turn of the century, wealthy Wellesley College graduate, teacher and published author named Lucy Freeman, purchased the property from Cook’s heirs (as well as a residence nearby where she took up residence) and she rented the Philander P. Cook House to friends during the course of her ownership. In 1910, she modernized the house, likely adding the fanlight transom in the Colonial Revival mode, and had the grounds landscaped as a country retreat. Throughout the 20th century, a number of owners have preserved and modernized the home, while retaining its unique charm and character, and it now is a large, single-family home. 

Samuel Hawes House // c.1742

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The Hawes’ in Wrentham, Massachusetts, were a prominent local family that largely settled in the western part of the town, building large farmhouses with properties bounded by rustic stone walls. This residence on Spring Street dates to the mid-18th century and was likely built for Samuel Hawes (1713-1795) around the time of his marriage to Priscilla Ruggles in 1741. After the death of both Samuel and Priscilla in 1795, the couple’s only son, David, bought out his two sisters value in the property and lived here with his family. The property was passed down through members of the Hawes Family until the 20th century, though later owners have still maintained and preserved this significant home for future generations.

Hawes Homestead // c.1740

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

One of the earliest extant homes in western Wrentham, Massachusetts, the old Hawes Homestead on Williams Street stands as an important Georgian style farmhouse in what was once a more pastoral part of the community. The house likely dates to the mid-18th century (or earlier) and was possibly built by Daniel Hawes, who farmed the land here. Due to the varied sizes of the upper windows, the residence was most probably a three-bay house with central chimney, and the right-most bay and modern chimney were added later. The residence was later inherited by his son, and later by other heirs before the property sold out of the Hawes family in the mid-19th century.