Fobes-O'Donnell House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fobes-O'Donnell House
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1221 Old Turnpike Rd., Oakham, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | c. 1773 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 100002197 |
| Added to NRHP | March 7, 2018 |
The Fobes-O'Donnell House is a special old building in Oakham, Massachusetts. It's now a historic house museum where you can learn about the past. This house was likely built a long time ago, in the late 1700s. It used to be a busy tavern, a place where travelers could stop for food and rest. It even held Oakham's very first post office! Today, the local historical society takes care of it as a museum. This important house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018, recognizing its historical value.
Contents
What the House Looks Like
The Fobes-O'Donnell House is located in a quiet, rural area of northern Oakham. It sits on the south side of the road where Old Turnpike Road and Hunt Road meet.
- Size and Shape: It's a two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It has a roof that slopes down on two sides (called a side-gable roof) and a chimney right in the middle. The outside is covered with horizontal wooden boards called clapboards.
- Front View: The front of the house has five sections, with windows placed evenly around the main door. A porch with Victorian-style decorations and thin columns stretches across the front.
- Inside the House: The inside of the house has a classic layout for homes with a central chimney. When you enter, there's a small hallway. The kitchen is on the left, and a living room (parlor) is on the right. A single-story addition extends from the left side of the house.
- Land: The house sits on about 1 acre (0.4 hectares) of land. This is much smaller than the more than 100 acres it used to be connected to in the past.
A Look Back in Time: The House's History
The exact year the Fobes-O'Donnell House was built isn't known for sure. However, its style suggests it was built in the second half of the 1700s.
Early Owners and the American Revolution
The house was probably built by John Murray, a rich landowner from nearby Rutland. During the American Revolution, Murray supported the British side. People who supported the British during the American Revolution were called Loyalists. Murray eventually had to leave and went to Canada. His property was then taken by the state.
A Tavern and Post Office
In 1799, Joseph Fobes bought the house. He turned it into a tavern, a place where people traveling on the turnpike could stop. The turnpike was a very important road connecting Boston and Hadley at that time. In 1813, Joseph Fobes became Oakham's first postmaster, and he ran the post office right out of this building!
Later Families and Becoming a Museum
The Fobes family owned the house until 1894, when it was sold to the O'Donnell family. Both the Fobes and O'Donnell families were very involved in local town activities. In 1994, the O'Donnell family generously gave the house to the Oakham Historical Society. Since then, the society has operated it as a museum, helping people learn about Oakham's history.
See also
