Edward Devotion House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Edward Devotion House
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Location | 347 Harvard St., Brookline, Massachusetts |
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Built | 1745 |
Architectural style | Colonial |
NRHP reference No. | 78002835 |
Added to NRHP | February 14, 1978 |
The Edward Devotion House is a very old house in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA. It was built around 1745. This makes it one of the oldest buildings still standing in Brookline. It is also one of the best-kept houses from the 1700s.
Today, the town of Brookline owns the house. The Brookline Historical Society takes care of it. They use it as a historic house museum. This means you can visit it to learn about history. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. This list includes important historical places in the United States.
What is the Edward Devotion House?
The Edward Devotion House is located on Harvard Street. This street has been an important road since colonial times. The house is near Coolidge Corner, a busy area in Brookline. It is also almost surrounded by the Florida Ruffin Ridley School. This public school used to be named after Edward Devotion.
The house is made of wood and has two and a half stories. It has a special roof called a gambrel roof. The back of the house has an added section called a leanto. This part extends out on one side, which is sometimes called a "Beverly jog." The house has a brick chimney in the middle. There are two entrances, one on the front and one on the side. The main front door has decorative pillars and a triangular top.
History of the Devotion House
The house was built around 1745 by a man named Solomon Hill. He bought the land from Edward Devotion, Jr. The Devotion family had owned this land since at least 1645. Some parts of the house might even be from an older building built around 1680.
The Devotion family was very important in Brookline. They helped the town become separate from Boston. Edward Devotion, Jr. left money to the town to build a school. However, the town did not build the school right away. In 1891, the town bought the house and built the first school nearby.
The Brookline Historical Society was started in 1901. Since then, they have helped take care of the house. Today, the house shows items from Brookline's past. It also displays things that belonged to the Devotion family. It's a great place to learn about life long ago!