General Artemas Ward House facts for kids
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 |
The General Artemas Ward House is a very old and important house located at 786 Main Street in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. It is often called the "Artemas Ward House." This house was the home of Artemas Ward for his entire life. He was a very important American leader during the American Revolutionary War. He was a top military leader, known as a Major General. He also served as a Congressman for Massachusetts, helping to make laws for the country.
This historic house is officially recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a special place that helps us remember important parts of American history.
A Home Through History
The story of the Artemas Ward House began in 1727. Artemas Ward's father, Nahum, built the house. It was first used for people who worked on his farm. Artemas Ward himself moved into the house in 1763.
The house is located along what was once the original Boston Post Road. This was a very important road for travel and mail in early America. You can still see an old mile marker from 1767 across the street in Dean Park. This marker shows how far people had traveled along the road.
Growing with the Family
The house became bigger over the years to fit the growing Ward family. In 1785, General Ward made the house much larger. He raised the roof and almost doubled its size. This allowed his son, Thomas Walter Ward, and his family to 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, other family members lived in a different building behind the old colonial home until 1954.
In 1925, the Ward family gave the property to Harvard University. This was a very generous gift.
The House Today
Today, Harvard University takes care of the General Artemas Ward House. It is now a museum that people can visit. The museum is open to the public for a few hours during the summer months. It's a great way to learn about life in early America and about General Artemas Ward.
The property also has a large four-story barn. This barn was made in 1848 by joining two smaller barn buildings 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
