General Artemas Ward House facts for kids
The General Artemas Ward House is a very old and important house in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. It was the home of Artemas Ward, a famous Major General during the American Revolutionary War. He was also a Congressman for Massachusetts. This house is now a museum where you can learn about his life and the history of the area. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a special historical site.
Quick facts for kids |
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General Artemas Ward House
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The Gen. Artemas Ward Homestead in winter
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 786 Main St., opposite Dean Park, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1727 |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000308 |
| Added to NRHP | May 4, 1976 |
A Home with a History
This house was built in 1727 by Artemas Ward's father, Nahum Ward. It was first used for people who worked on his farm. Artemas Ward himself moved into the house in 1763. The house is located right along the old Boston Post Road. You can still see an original mile marker from that road across the street, near Dean Park.
Growing with the Family
General Ward made the house bigger in 1785. He raised the roof and almost doubled its size. This was so his son, Thomas Walter Ward, and his family could live there too. The house was made even bigger in 1820 by Thomas Walter Ward. He added a two-story section to the back of the house.
Members of the Ward family lived in the main part of the house until 1909. After that, from 1909 to 1954, other family members lived in a second building behind the old home. In 1925, the family gave the property to Harvard University.
The House Today
Today, Harvard University takes care of the General Artemas Ward House. It is open to the public as a museum during the summer months. This is a great chance to see what life was like long ago. The property also has a large, four-story barn. This barn was made in 1848 by joining two smaller barns together.
Gallery
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The front of the Artemas Ward House, June 30, 2007
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The back of the barn at the Artemas Ward House, June 30, 2007
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The Memorial Stone at Gen. Artemas Ward Homestead, May 15, 2009
See also
