Coronet John Farnum Jr. House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cornet John Farnum Jr. House
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Location | Mendon St., Uxbridge, Massachusetts |
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Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
Built | 1710 |
NRHP reference No. | 80001682 |
Added to NRHP | May 7, 1980 |
The Cornet John Farnum Jr. House is a very old home in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. It was built around 1710. This makes it one of the oldest houses in the historic Blackstone Valley. In 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important historical places across the United States.
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Why the Farnum House is Special
The town of Uxbridge is part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. This area is known as the oldest industrialized region in the United States. The Cornet John Farnum Jr. House is very important to Uxbridge's history. It was the place where the first ever Uxbridge Town Meeting was held in 1727. Today, the house is a museum. It is also the main office for the Uxbridge Historical Society. It shows a great example of early New England colonial architecture.
Who Built the House?
John Farnum Jr. and his wife, Mary (Tyler) Farnum, likely moved to the Uxbridge area. At that time, this area was part of Mendon. John Farnum Jr. had a military rank called "cornet." This rank was similar to an ensign, which is a junior officer. In 1703, he was chosen to be a constable in Mendon. He had his house built around 1710. This part of Mendon later became Uxbridge. His son, Moses Farnum, also had a house that still stands today. It is located on Massachusetts Route 146A.
How Uxbridge Became a Town
On June 27, 1727, a request was approved to create the town of Uxbridge. The very first town meeting for Uxbridge took place in the Cornet John Farnum House. One of the first official actions of the new town happened on July 8, 1728. They decided to set aside money for "good rum for ye raising of ye meeting house." This shows how they celebrated building their first meeting house.
A Link to American History
The Cornet John Farnum Jr. House, the town of Uxbridge, and John Farnum Jr. himself are now connected to American history. They are all part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. This corridor helps tell the story of how the United States grew and developed.