George Peabody House Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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George Peabody House
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George Peabody House at 205 Washington Street
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Peabody, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1790 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 88000911 |
| Added to NRHP | July 6, 1988 |
The George Peabody House Museum is a special place in Peabody, Massachusetts. It's a historic house museum that tells the story of George Peabody. He was a very important person in the 1800s. He was a successful businessman and gave away a lot of money to help others. In fact, the city of Peabody is named after him!
This museum is located at 205 Washington Street. It shares its space with the Peabody Leather Museum. What makes this house extra special is that George Peabody was born right here in 1795. Back then, this area was called South Danvers.
Contents
The Story of George Peabody's Home
The land where the museum stands has a long history. In 1769, a man named John Southwick, Jr., owned this land. He gave the empty 12-acre lot to his daughter, Hannah, and her husband, Daniel Purinton. Daniel was a cordwainer, which means he made shoes.
Early Days of the House
Records from 1786 show there was a chocolate mill on the property. By 1794, other buildings were mentioned. In April 1795, Daniel Purinton sold the land and buildings to Thomas Peabody. It's possible that the Peabody family was renting the house before buying it. This means George Peabody might have been born in the house while his family was renting.
George Peabody's Connection to the House
Thomas Peabody, George's father, passed away on May 13, 1811. His oldest son, David, took care of the family's affairs. The property had three mortgages at that time. David took out two more mortgages in 1812 to manage things.
On November 22, 1816, George Peabody bought the family home from his brother for $109. He paid off one of the mortgages in 1817. This allowed his mother to keep living in the house. In 1832, two years after his mother died, George Peabody sold the property to David Shove for $1,465. After this sale, George Peabody never owned another home. He chose to rent for the rest of his life.
The House Through the Years
After George Peabody sold it, the house had several owners. Elijah Upton, who made glue, owned the land until 1883. Then, Charles B. Farley bought it. By this time, the house had been split into two apartments. Farley rented them out to different people, like a produce seller and a carpenter.
In 1919, the Peabody Historical Society put up a special plaque and post. This memorial honored the house as George Peabody's birthplace, and it's still there today. That same year, Charles Farley sold the house to the American Glue Company. They used it to house their workers for many years. From the 1960s to the 1980s, employees from Eastman Gelatin lived there.
Becoming a Museum
In 1989, the city of Peabody bought the house from Eastman Gelatin. They decided to turn it into the George Peabody House Museum. This way, more people could learn about George Peabody's life and his amazing contributions.
The property was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.
See also
