Farwell Jones House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Farwell Jones House |
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|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location | Concord, Massachusetts |
| Address | Lexington Road |
| Coordinates | 42°27′23″N 71°18′56″W / 42.45633°N 71.31554°W |
| Completed | Early 18th century |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 (including basement) |
The Farwell Jones House is a really old house in Concord, Massachusetts. It's famous because it's connected to the very first battle of the American Revolutionary War. This battle happened in 1775, and it was called the battles of Lexington and Concord. The house was built a long time ago, in the early 1700s. It's one of eleven historic houses still standing in the Minute Man National Historical Park.
History of the Farwell Jones House
The Farwell Jones House first shows up in official records in 1716. At that time, John Jones, who was Farwell's father, started a farm there. Farwell Jones took over the farm around 1760. This was a couple of years before his father passed away.
During the battles of Lexington and Concord, Farwell's sister, Olive Stow, lived nearby. She and her two children lived in the house next door. That house is now known as the Stow-Hardy House.
Farwell Jones married Hannah Hosmer in 1777. They had one daughter, also named Hannah. This daughter inherited the house in 1802. The house then belonged to her husband, Calvin Wright. When Calvin Wright died in 1803, the property was divided between their two children.
The house left the Jones family in 1838. After that, it had four different owners before James Carty bought it in 1891. Carty then sold the farm to George Williams in 1907.
The House and Minute Man National Historical Park
Aleck and Anna Norwalk owned the house when the Minute Man National Historical Park was created in 1959. The government was allowed to buy all the land within the park. This is called eminent domain, which means the government can take private property for public use, but they must pay for it.
The Farwell Jones House property was officially transferred to the government in 1976. After her husband died, Anna Norwalk was paid $400,000 for the property. She was allowed to keep living in the house with her children for the next 25 years. Anna passed away in 1994. Seven years later, the National Park Service took over the property.
The barn on the property was built much later, in 1903.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The battles of Lexington and Concord were the very first battles of the American Revolutionary War. They began before dawn on April 19, 1775. British soldiers marched past the Farwell Jones House. They were on their way to Concord. Later, they marched past the house again on their way back to Boston. The house's location made it a witness to these important historical events.
