Daniel Aldrich Cottage and Sawmill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Daniel Aldrich Cottage and Sawmill
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 364 Aldrich St., Uxbridge, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 10.5 acres (4.2 ha) |
| Built | 1830 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| MPS | Uxbridge MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 83004103 |
| Added to NRHP | October 7, 1983 |
The Daniel Aldrich Cottage and Sawmill is a special old property in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. It includes a brick house built around 1830. This house is in the "late Federal style," which was popular back then. The property also once had a rare small sawmill, built around 1835. Both were built by Daniel Aldrich, whose family was well-known in the area. This historic site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, meaning it's important to American history.
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What is the Daniel Aldrich Cottage and Sawmill?
This historic property is located on Aldrich Street in a quiet, rural part of Uxbridge. It shows us what life and work were like in the early 1800s. The site helps us understand how communities grew and how people made a living a long time ago.
A Look at the Cottage
The house is a one-and-a-half story building made of brick. It has a roof that slopes down on two sides (called a gable roof) and chimneys at each end. The front of the house has bricks laid in a special pattern called "stretcher bond." The other sides use a different pattern called "common bond."
The front of the house has five sections, with the main door in the middle. The door has narrow windows on either side, called sidelight windows. On the east side of the house, there's a wooden addition built in the "Greek Revival" style. This style was popular a bit later than the Federal style. There's also a barn located southwest of the house.
The Sawmill Story
East of the house, across a small stream, there used to be a simple, one-story wooden building. This building had a gable roof and was covered with clapboard siding. It was probably built around the same time as the house. This building was very special because it was a rare example of a small sawmill from the 1800s.
A sawmill is a place where logs are cut into lumber using saws. Sadly, most of this old sawmill building has been taken down since it was first listed as a historic place.
The Aldrich Family and Their Village
Starting in the 1820s, the area became known as Aldrich Village. This was a community where many members of the Aldrich family lived. The Aldrich family were Quakers. Quakers are a religious group known for their peaceful beliefs.
Their community included their homes and the businesses they ran. Daniel Aldrich owned this property and operated several businesses here. He had a sawmill, where he cut lumber. He also had a blacksmith shop, where metal was shaped, and a wheelwright shop, where wheels and wagons were made. These shops produced many things like roof shingles, wagons, and lumber.
Later, Daniel's son, Gideon, took over the property. It's not clear if Gideon continued to use the sawmill for his lumber businesses.
