Benjamin James House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Benjamin James House
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 186 Towle Farm Rd., Hampton, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 1.1 acres (0.45 ha) |
| Built | 1723 |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000168 |
| Added to NRHP | March 13, 2002 |
The Benjamin James House is a really old house in Hampton, New Hampshire. It was built in 1723! People think it's the oldest house of its kind in New Hampshire. It's now a historic house museum, which means you can visit it. A local group takes care of it. You can visit from May to October, or by setting up a special time. This house is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
Exploring the Benjamin James House
The Benjamin James House is on Towle Farm Road in a quiet area. It faces south, away from the street. It's a two-and-a-half-story wooden house. It has a sloped roof, a chimney in the middle, and wooden siding.
A smaller, two-story part sticks out from the back of the house. This part might be even older than the main house. The main house is built with strong wooden beams. These beams form a sturdy frame, like a skeleton for the house. They help hold up the roof and the floors.
Scientists used a method called dendrochronology to study the wood. This method looks at tree rings to find out when the trees were cut. They found that the wood for the main house was cut in 1723.
Who Lived in the Benjamin James House?
Benjamin James bought the land for this house in 1705. He was a weaver, which means he made cloth. By 1722, Benjamin owned about 30 acres of land. He also had eight children!
Because his family was growing, he needed a bigger house. So, he built this larger house in 1723. The James family lived in this house for a very long time, until 1931. Over the years, they made some changes to the inside.
For example, they removed the original chimney in the late 1800s. They also put in new windows. In 1995, the house was empty and falling apart. A local group called the James House Association bought it. They wanted to save this important piece of history.
See also
