Avant House (Mashpee, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Avant House
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 Location in Cape Cod
Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | MA 130 at Mill Pond, Mashpee, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 0.58 acres (0.23 ha) |
| Built | 1830 |
| NRHP reference No. | 98001382 |
| Added to NRHP | December 3, 1998 |
The Avant House, also called the Timothy Pocknet Homestead, is a very old house in Mashpee, Massachusetts. It sits near Mill Pond on Massachusetts Route 130. This house was built a long time ago, either in the late 1700s or early 1800s, making it one of the oldest buildings still standing in Mashpee. Today, the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe owns and runs it as the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Museum. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 because of its important history.
Contents
Exploring the Avant House
The Avant House is located on the south side of MA 130. It is just west of the Mashpee River, where the river flows out of Mill Pond. It is a small, one-story house made of wood. It has a pointed roof and three sections on the front. The main door is on the right side and has simple decorations around it, just like the windows. A smaller section of the house extends to the left.
Inside the Museum
Even though the house is now a museum, many of its original parts are still there. For example, the parlor (a living room) has a special fireplace mantel. This mantel shows the Greek Revival style, which was popular for buildings in the early 1800s. It's cool to see how people lived and decorated their homes so long ago!
A Look at the House's History
Historians have different ideas about when the Avant House was first built. Some say it was built around 1793. They believe it was built by the great-grandson of Richard Bourne. Richard Bourne was a missionary and one of the first European settlers in Mashpee.
Who Built the House?
Other records, like the one for the National Register of Historic Places, suggest the house was built around 1830. This is because laws about Mashpee's status as an Indian reservation made it hard to build much before 1819. If it was built around 1830, then John Phinney likely built it. He was one of the few white residents living in Mashpee at that time.
Timothy Pocknet and the Wampanoag Tribe
In 1863, Timothy Pocknet, a member of the Wampanoag tribe, bought the house. Timothy Pocknet was a very important person in Wampanoag history. He was one of the people who signed a petition in 1833. This petition asked the state for the tribe to have more control over their own government. Because of this, the tribe gained more independence.
For many years, the house belonged to Mabel Avant. She was a respected elder and historian for the Wampanoag tribe. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the tribe became worried about how fast Cape Cod was developing. They decided to restore the Avant House.
The Museum's Journey
The tribe proudly opened the house as a museum in 1973. Amelia Peters Bingham was its first director and a key person in making the museum happen. However, the museum soon closed. This happened because of a disagreement over land. The tribe was trying to get back thousands of acres of land that had been sold unfairly in the 1800s.
The building was given back to the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe in 1998. Today, the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Museum is open again. It welcomes both the Mashpee community and visitors who want to learn about their history and culture.
See also
