John Balch House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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John Balch House
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John Balch House, Beverly, Massachusetts.
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| Location | 448 Cabot St. Beverly, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1679 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000275 |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1973 |
Imagine stepping back in time! The John Balch House in Beverly, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest wooden houses in the entire United States. It's like a time capsule! Today, you can visit it as a historic house museum, run by Historic Beverly. It's usually open during certain times of the year.
A Look at the House's History
The land for the John Balch House was first owned by John Balch himself. He received the land on November 11, 1635. It was part of a large area called the "Thousand Acre Grant."
It seems John Balch was living on this property by 1636. For a long time, people thought the house was built around that year. However, experts later studied the house more closely.
In 2006, scientists used a special method called dendrochronology. This method looks at tree rings in the wood to find out exactly when the trees were cut down. They discovered that the oldest part of the house (the right side) was built in 1679. The southern part of the house was added later, in 1721.
From Family Home to Museum
The Balch family owned this house for a very long time. It stayed in their family until 1916. Sometimes, they rented it out to other people.
After 1916, the Balch Family Association bought the house. They wanted to make sure this important piece of history was saved. They hired an expert named Norman Isham to help them. He was a popular architect who specialized in preserving old buildings.
Isham found some original wooden beams in the attic. He suggested making changes to the house to show its original look. This included removing a later addition and rebuilding parts of the roof. So, the house you see today has been carefully restored to look more like it did long ago.
In 1932, the house was given to the Beverly Historical Society. This group is now called Historic Beverly. They take care of the John Balch House and open it for visitors to explore.
See Also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts
- List of the oldest buildings in Massachusetts
