Eleazer Arnold House facts for kids
|
Eleazer Arnold House
|
|
|
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
|
1909 postcard
|
|
 Location in Rhode Island
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 487 Great Road, Lincoln, Rhode Island |
|---|---|
| Built | c. 1693 |
| Architect | unknown |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| Part of | Great Road Historic District (ID74000051) |
| NRHP reference No. | 68000006 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | November 24, 1968 |
| Designated NHL | November 24, 1968 |
| Designated CP | July 22, 1974 |
The Eleazer Arnold House is a very old and special home built around 1693. It's located in Lincoln, Rhode Island, in an area called the Great Road Historic District. Today, it's a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a really important place in American history. A group called Historic New England owns it, and you can visit it on weekends.
Contents
A Unique Stone House
The Eleazer Arnold House is a large example of a "stone-ender" house. This style of building came from the western part of England. It was very common in northern Rhode Island. Some people believe a builder named John Smith "the Mason" and his family built it.
How It Was Built
The house has two stories, with four rooms on each floor. It also has a lean-to, which is a smaller addition built against one side. The end walls are made of exposed fieldstone, which are natural stones found in fields. The side walls are made of wood. A large chimney with decorative pillars stands at one end. Later, a triangular roof section called a gable was added.
Saving History
In 1919, a person named Preserved Whipple Arnold gave the house to Historic New England. This group was then called the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. Since then, the house has been carefully restored two times.
Restoring the House
The first restoration work happened in 1920. Norman Isham led these efforts to make the house stable and safe. In 1950, the house and its chimney had a big structural repair. During this second restoration, changes made to the house over the years were removed. The goal was to make the building look like it did in the 1600s.
A National Treasure
The Eleazer Arnold House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1968. It was then named a National Historic Landmark in 1974. This was because of its special and important architecture.
Dating the House
In 2005, scientists used a method called dendrochronology to study the house. This method looks at tree rings in the wood used to build the house. The study confirmed that the house was indeed built in 1693.
Today, the building looks very much like homes did when Rhode Island was first settled. Some parts, like the windows with leaded glass and the front door, are newer replacements from the 1900s.
Images for kids
-
View from the Southeast in 1941
-
View from the Southwest in 1941
-
View from the North in 1941
-
Arnold House in 2008
See also
- Clemence-Irons House, another nearby Rhode Island stone-ender
