Fairbanks House (Dedham, Massachusetts) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Fairbanks House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark

Fairbanks House in 2013
Location in Massachusetts Show map of Massachusetts Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	511 East Street, Dedham, Massachusetts
Built	ca. 1637
NRHP reference No.	66000367
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	October 9, 1960

The Fairbanks House in Dedham, Massachusetts is a very old and special house. It was built around 1637, which makes it the oldest wooden house in North America that scientists have confirmed using tree rings (dendrochronology). A Puritan settler named Jonathan Fairbanks built this farm house for his wife, Grace, and their family.

The house stayed in the Fairbanks family for over 300 years, passed down through eight generations! As the family grew and building styles changed, new parts were added to the original house. Today, the Fairbanks House is a historic house museum. It is owned and run by the Fairbanks Family in America, a group that works to protect and share the history of this amazing home. The house was named a National Historic Landmark in 1961.

The House's Design and How It Grew
A Look Back in Time: The House's History
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The House's Design and How It Grew

The Fairbanks House wasn't built all at once. It grew in different stages over many years. The very first part of the house, in the center, is the oldest. It had a simple roof shape called a gable roof. This original section was a two-story house with a chimney in the middle.

Scientists used a method called dendrochronology to study the wood in the house. They found that some of the main wooden beams were cut in 1637. Other parts of the house, like wall boards, were from trees cut in 1638, 1640, and 1641. This means the oldest part of the house was finished by 1641.

The outside walls were covered with wide oak boards on the front. The back and sides had narrower boards. The original front door was on the left side of the chimney. The back door is still in its original spot on the north wall. The house had big windows on each floor at the front.

Later, more parts were added to the house. A "lean-to" section was built at the back. An east wing was added around 1641, and a west wing was added around 1654. The east wing was probably made from parts of other old buildings around the late 1700s. Over time, more rooms and even a small entry were added. The last addition was a small outdoor bathroom (privy) in 1881.

A Look Back in Time: The House's History

Jonathan Fairbanks came from England in 1633 and settled in Dedham, Massachusetts, around 1636-1637. He built this house on his farm. It's thought to be the oldest house in New England that has always been owned by the same family line. The land it sits on has never even had a mortgage! Today, it's a popular place to visit in Dedham.

Some interesting things have been found in the house that suggest people living there long ago believed in folk magic. They carved special "hex signs" into the fireplace mantle. These were meant to protect the house from fires and even from witches! Old shoes have also been found hidden in the attic and behind the chimney. People believe these were placed there to stop bad spirits from coming into the house.

Building the House

Early historians thought the Fairbanks House was built in 1636. But newer studies, especially the tree-ring dating, show that the oldest part was built between 1637 and 1641. Some stories say that the main wooden frame, bricks, tiles, and windows were brought all the way from England! They supposedly stayed in Boston for months before being moved to Dedham. The plaster on the walls was made using clay from the nearby Charles River.

The house wasn't built all at once. Jonathan Fairbanks definitely owned a house on this land by 1648. Later, around 1654, a big new section was added. This part was supposedly built for his son John when he got married. The roof you see today was put on during this time, between 1652 and 1654. More additions were made in the 1700s and 1800s.

A professor named Abbot Lowell Cummings once said that "no other house of the mid-17th century in New England has survived in such unbelievably unspoiled condition." This means the house is a treasure trove of information about how people lived and built homes a very long time ago.

Becoming a Museum

In 1879, Nancy Fairbanks, a descendant of Jonathan and Grace, passed away without children. She left the house to her niece, Rebecca Fairbanks. Rebecca lived there for a while, but then had to sell it in 1895 because she was having money troubles. A local real estate agent, John Crowley, bought it. Rebecca was allowed to keep living there. She also sold some old family items, like a wooden chest from 1658. Luckily, the family bought the chest back in 2003, and it now spends time at the Fairbanks House and the Dedham Historical Society.

In 1897, John Crowley planned to tear down the house to build new homes on the land. But people heard about it and wanted to save the historic house! Mrs. J. Amory Codman and her daughter Martha bought the house instead. They let Rebecca stay until 1904. Then, in 1905, a new group called the Fairbanks Family in America took over. They turned the house into a museum! For a few years, the museum's curators even camped in a tent next door until a new house was bought and built for them in 1912.

Events in the 1900s

Every year, the Fairbanks family holds a reunion at the house. In 1907, the Vice President of the United States, Charles W. Fairbanks, even attended!

The Boston Bicycle Club used to stop at the house during their bike tours. In 1916, for their 40th anniversary, they planted a tree on the grounds. Years later, in 1926, the ashes of one of the club's founders, Frank W. Weston, were buried under that tree.

On a rainy day in 1964, a car accidentally drove into the east wing of the house. The car stayed there overnight until it could be carefully removed. After this, a stone wall was built to protect the house, which prevented another car from hitting it in 1973. In 1967, some people tried to set the house on fire, but thankfully, it was saved. In the 1970s, tiny bugs called powderpost beetles were removed from the house to keep the wood safe.