General John and Mary Fellows Farmstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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General John and Mary Fellows Farmstead
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1601 Barnum Rd., Sheffield, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 125 acres (51 ha) |
| Built | 1760s |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 100002828 |
| Added to NRHP | August 28, 2018 |
The General John and Mary Fellows Farmstead is a very old farm in Sheffield, Massachusetts. Its main house was built in the 1760s. This house was once home to John Fellows, a famous general during the American Revolutionary War. Because of its history, the farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
Exploring the Historic Fellows Farmstead
The Fellows Farmstead is found in a quiet, countryside area of southwestern Sheffield. It sits on the east side of Barnum Road. This large property covers about 125 acres (51 hectares). It has both open fields and thick woodlands.
What Does the Farmhouse Look Like?
The main house is a two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and a chimney right in the middle. The outside is covered with wooden boards called clapboards. The back of the roof slopes down much more gently than the front. It reaches all the way to the first floor. This gives the house a special shape known as a New England saltbox. This design was common for houses built a long time ago.
The back part of the house seems to have been built at the same time as the rest of it. The front of the house has three sections. Windows are placed evenly around a wide main entrance. A smaller, one-story section extends from the left side of the house. Inside, many of the original details are still there. This includes fancy carved wood and wall panels.
Who Was General John Fellows?
For a long time, people thought the house was built in 1737. They believed it was for Captain John Fellows, who moved to the area from Pomfret, Connecticut. However, scientists used a method called dendrochronology to study the wood. This method looks at tree rings to find out when the wood was cut. Their study showed that the house was actually built in the 1760s.
Captain Fellows' son, also named John, likely built this house. He became a very important leader in the Massachusetts militia. This was a group of citizen soldiers during the American Revolutionary War. General John Fellows fought alongside George Washington in 1776 during the New York and New Jersey campaign. He also fought in the 1777 Saratoga campaign. These were very important battles for American independence.
When the farm was added to the National Register in 2018, it was still owned by the same family. They have owned it since the early 1800s!
