John and Priscilla Alden Family Sites facts for kids
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John and Priscilla Alden Family Sites
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John Alden House, 2009
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 105 Alden St., Duxbury, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 2.4 acres (0.97 ha) |
| Built | c. 1630 (Original) c. 1700 (Current) |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000476 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 14, 1978 |
| Designated NHL | October 6, 2008 |
The John and Priscilla Alden Family Sites are two special places in Duxbury, Massachusetts. They are important because of their connection to John Alden and his wife, Priscilla Mullins. John Alden was one of the first settlers of the Plymouth Colony. He came to America on the famous ship, the Mayflower. He held many important jobs in the colony.
John and Priscilla's story became famous thanks to a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. His poem, The Courtship of Miles Standish, tells a fictional version of their relationship. This poem helped make their story a well-known part of American history.
One of these sites holds the hidden remains of a house John Alden built around 1630. This spot is also important for archaeology. It shows the amazing work of Roland W. Robbins, an early archaeologist. This land is now owned by the Town of Duxbury. The second site has a house that people once thought John Alden built around 1653. However, experts now believe it was built around 1700, likely by Alden's grandson. This house has always been owned by the Alden family. Today, a family group manages it as a historic house museum.
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Discovering the First Alden Home
The Alden Homestead Site is on a small hill. It looks over the Bluefish River. This land is now part of the Duxbury Junior High School property. Wooden posts show where Roland Wells Robbins dug up the old house foundation in 1960. A bronze sign on a stone nearby says "Site of the John Alden House built 1627". This land was part of a large area given to John Alden in 1628. It is about 750 feet from the Alden House museum.
People have been interested in this site since the 1800s. Old items were found here a long time ago. The first official search for the homestead happened in the 1950s. But archaeologists could not find the foundation then. In 1960, the Alden Kindred Foundation hired Roland Robbins. He found and dug up a granite foundation. It was about 38 feet long and 10.5 feet wide. There was also a deep cellar under the western part of the house.
Robbins dug inside the foundation, including the cellar. He found over 7,000 historical items. He also found 2,000 items from Native Americans who lived there before. Most of the historical items were nails and other building materials. Many cultural items showed that people stopped living there in the 1650s. After talking with other experts, Robbins believed the house was built in 1632.
New studies by Craig Chartier suggest something different. He thinks the foundation might have been an addition. It could have been added to an older, smaller house. This older house might have been built on wooden posts set in the ground. This building style was common in Plymouth Colony. Chartier believes this site was John Alden's main home for most of his time in Plymouth.
Exploring the Alden House Museum
The Alden House Historic Site is a museum. It is located at 105 Alden Street in Duxbury, Massachusetts. For many years, the Alden family believed this house was built in 1653. They thought it was the second home of John and Priscilla Alden. Some even thought parts of it might be from 1630.
However, in 2003, scientists studied the wood in the house. They used a method called dendrochronology (tree-ring dating). This study showed that the house was built around 1700. This was after John and Priscilla had passed away.
John Alden was a ship's cooper (someone who makes barrels) on the Mayflower. He arrived in Plymouth Colony in 1620. Later, he moved to Duxbury. He was not a Pilgrim himself. But he was a very important person throughout the time of the Plymouth Colony. It is possible that parts of this house were built using materials from Alden's earlier home nearby.
Special Recognition
These important sites were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. They were then named a National Historic Landmark on October 6, 2008. This means they are very special places in American history.
See also
- List of the oldest buildings in Massachusetts
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Images for kids
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Priscilla and John Alden
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John Alden House historic marker
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1930s postcard depicting the dining room
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1930s postcard depicting a bedroom
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