George I. Briggs House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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George I. Briggs House
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Front (west) elevation and south profile, 2008
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 Location in Cape Cod
Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Sandwich Rd., Bourne, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1802 |
| Architect | Moses Keene II, et al. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 81000119 |
| Added to NRHP | September 10, 1981 |
The George I. Briggs House is a special old building in Bourne, Massachusetts, United States. People sometimes call it the Briggs-McDermott House. This house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Today, it is a historic house museum. The Bourne Society for Historic Preservation takes care of it.
Contents
History of the Briggs House
Early Days and Design
The George I. Briggs House was first built around 1802. A person named Josephus Keene built it. Later, in the 1830s, the house got much bigger. It was also updated in a style called Greek Revival. This style looks like ancient Greek temples. George I. Briggs made these changes. He married Josephus Keene's granddaughter, Thirza.
George Briggs's Role in Bourne
George Briggs was very important to the town of Bourne. He helped create the town in 1884. Before that, Bourne was part of Sandwich. Briggs was one of the first leaders, called selectmen, for the new town. He also worked on school and library groups. He even led the commission for Barnstable County.
Famous Friends and Art
George Briggs was friends with U.S. President Grover Cleveland. President Cleveland sometimes visited the area for vacations. A local blacksmith who put new shoes on Cleveland's horses had a shop nearby. This blacksmith shop was later moved to the house property. Inside the house, there is a beautiful ceiling mural. A local artist named Charles Raleigh painted it in 1890.
Later Owners and Restoration
After George Briggs passed away, his house went to Mercy Briggs McDermott and her husband William. They later sold the house to the school district. In the 1970s, the town worked hard to fix up the house. In 1998, the old blacksmith shop was moved to the house grounds.
See Also
