Edward Devotion House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Edward Devotion House
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 Location in Greater Boston area
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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 and important house in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA. It was built around 1745. This house is special because it's one of the few buildings from the 1700s that is still standing in Brookline. It's also the best-preserved one! Today, the town owns the house, and the Brookline Historical Society takes care of it. You can visit it as a historic house museum. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, which means it's recognized as a very important historical site.
The building is also the main office for the Brookline Historical Society.
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What is the Edward Devotion House?
The Edward Devotion House is located on Harvard Street in Brookline. Harvard Street is a big road that has been there since the early days of the American colonies. The house is near Coolidge Corner, which is a busy shopping area in Brookline. It is also almost surrounded by the Florida Ruffin Ridley School, which used to be called the Devotion School.
A Look at the House's Design
The house is made of wood and has two and a half stories. It is three window-widths wide. It has a special type of roof called a gambrel roof. This roof slopes down on two different angles on each side. At the back, the roof extends down to cover an extra section, like a lean-to. This back part also has a "Beverly jog," which means it sticks out a bit on one side.
The house has a brick chimney in the middle. There are two main doors. One is on the left side of the front of the house. This front door has decorative columns, called pilasters, on each side. Above the door, there's a flat piece of wood called an entablature, and on top of that is a triangular shape called a pediment. The other door is in the "Beverly jog" section.
History of the Devotion Family and the House
The Edward Devotion 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 older, possibly from around 1680!
The Devotion family was very important in Brookline. They helped ask for the town to become separate from Boston. Edward Devotion, Jr. left money in his will for the town to build a school. However, the town didn't use the money until 1891. That's when the town bought the Edward Devotion House and built the first school building nearby.
The House Today
Since 1901, the Brookline Historical Society has taken care of the Edward Devotion House. Today, the house shows visitors what life was like in Brookline's past. You can see old objects from the town's history and learn about the Devotion family. It's a great place to learn about how people lived long ago!
See also
In Spanish: Casa de Edward Devotion para niños
