Cadman–White–Handy House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cadman–White–Handy House
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 202 Hixbridge Road, Westport, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1710 |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 92000831 |
| Added to NRHP | July 16, 1992 |
The Cadman–White–Handy House, often called the Handy House, is a special old house in Westport, Massachusetts. It is now a historic house museum. This house was built over many years, starting around 1710 and finishing by 1825. It shows us how buildings were designed in southern Massachusetts long ago. The Westport Historical Society runs the house as a museum. You can visit it on some Saturdays from June to October. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. This means it is a very important historical site.
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About the Handy House
The Handy House is in the middle of Westport. It sits on the northwest corner of Hixbridge and Drift Roads. It is also close to the East Branch of the Westport River. Both Hixbridge and Drift Roads are very old. Drift Road was even an old Native American trail.
How the House Looks
The house is a two-and-a-half-story building. It is made of wood and has a roof that slopes down on two sides. The outside is covered with wooden boards called clapboards. The front of the house has eight sections, called bays. There are two main doors. One is in the second section from the left. The other is in the fifth section from the left. Both doors have fancy frames. These frames have flat columns, small windows above the door, and a pointed roof design. This style is called Federal.
Building Through Time
The Handy House was built in three main steps. The first part was built around 1710. This oldest part is the three sections on the far right. It was likely an early "stone ender" house. This was a common style in Rhode Island where one end of the house was made of stone.
The next part was added between 1730 and 1750. This included the two middle sections. With this addition, the house looked like a traditional Georgian style home. It had five sections across the front with the main door in the middle.
The last three sections on the left were added in 1825. At this time, the outside of the house was updated. It was given the Federal style look you see today. Even though the outside changed, the inside still has parts from all three building periods. This lets visitors see how building styles changed over the years.
Visiting the Museum
The Westport Historical Society owns the Handy House. They run it as a historic house museum. The house is mostly empty inside. This allows visitors to focus on the building itself. You can see how people built houses in the 1700s and 1800s. You can also see the different decorative styles from those times. It's a great way to learn about history!
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