Burford House (New Hampshire) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
Burford House
|
|
![]() |
|
Location | NH 10, Goshen, New Hampshire |
---|---|
Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
Built | 1843 |
Architectural style | Greek Revival |
MPS | Plank Houses of Goshen New Hampshire TR |
NRHP reference No. | 85001309 |
Added to NRHP | June 21, 1985 |
The Burford House is a really old and special house in Goshen, New Hampshire. It was built way back in 1843. This house is famous because it's one of many unique "plank-frame" houses in the area. For a long time, it was home to Walter Nelson, a local historian. He spent years studying these special homes. The Burford House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. This means it's an important historical building!
Contents
What Makes the Burford House Special?
The Burford House is located on the west side of New Hampshire Route 10. It's about 100 yards (91 meters) south of where Route 10 meets Brook Road. This house is a 1-1/2 story building made of wood. It has a roof that slopes down on two sides, called a gabled roof. The outside is covered with overlapping wooden boards called clapboards.
How Was the House Built?
Instead of using typical wooden studs for its walls, the Burford House was built with thick, three-inch (7.6 cm) planks. These planks were joined together with wooden pegs, called dowels, to make the walls strong and stable. This building method is known as "plank-frame" construction.
The house is five sections wide and three sections deep. It has a chimney right in the middle of the house. The front entrance is very fancy, designed in the Greek Revival style. It has windows on the sides of the door, called sidelight windows. The trim around the door has special grooves, known as fluted molding.
Connecting Buildings
The main part of the house is connected to a barn from the 1800s. Several smaller additions, called ells, link the house to the barn. This creates a larger, connected structure.
History of the Burford House
The Burford House was built in 1843. It is part of a group of important plank-frame houses in Goshen. These houses are special because of their unique construction.
Walter Nelson and the Plank Houses
This particular house belonged to Walter Nelson. He was the first person to find and record all the plank-frame houses in Goshen. He became interested in these homes after studying how his own house was built. Walter Nelson lived in the Burford House for 65 years until he passed away in 1970. His research helped everyone understand the unique history of these buildings.