Isaac Child House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Isaac Child House
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 209 Newton St., Brookline, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 3.3 acres (1.3 ha) |
| Built | c. 1740; 1875 |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| MPS | Brookline MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 85003254 |
| Added to NRHP | October 17, 1985 |
The Isaac Child House is a really old and special house in Brookline, Massachusetts. It's located at 209 Newton Street. This house is one of the few buildings in Brookline that is still standing from the 1700s! Because it's so old and important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
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Discovering the Isaac Child House
The Isaac Child House sits in a quiet, tree-lined part of southern Brookline. It's right on the corner of Newton and Clyde Streets. The house has a large yard, about 3 acres, which is like three football fields! This property is surrounded on two sides by The Country Club, a famous golf course.
What the House Looks Like
The house is made of wood and is about three and a half stories tall. It has a special roof shape called a "gabled roof" with clipped corners. A two-story section sticks out from the back of the house. Beyond that, there's another smaller, one-story section.
A Glimpse into History
It's a bit of a mystery exactly when the Isaac Child House was built. Some parts of the house have wooden beams that might be from a much older house. This older house probably stood on the same spot in the early 1700s. However, we don't have any official papers about a house here until the 1790s.
Who Owned the Land?
The land where the house stands has a long history. It has been owned by families since the mid-1600s! Back then, it belonged to a person named Griffin Bowen. People think that Isaac Child, who was Griffin Bowen's grandson, might have built the oldest part of this house. This could have happened as early as 1714.
Clues from the Past
The upper floors of the house have some cool old features. You can see heavy wooden beams and wide wooden floorboards. There are also "batten doors" with strong metal hinges. These are all signs of a very old building style called First Period construction. This style was common in early American homes.
How the House Changed Over Time
The house got a big makeover in the 1870s. Imagine this: the old house was actually lifted up! Then, a brand new first floor was built underneath it. Since that big change, the house has only had small updates. This means much of its history and unique features are still there for us to see today.
