Macy–Colby House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Macy–Colby House
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_-_Amesbury,_Massachusetts.JPG) |
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 257 Main St., Amesbury, Massachusetts |
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| Built | c.1745 (NRHP) |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 08000531 |
| Added to NRHP | June 16, 2008 |
The Macy–Colby House is a very old and important house in Amesbury, Massachusetts. It looks like a classic New England saltbox house, which has a long, sloping roof in the back. Because of its age and interesting history, it is now a historic house museum that people can visit. It's also on the National Register of Historic Places, a list of special buildings worth protecting.
The house is famous for two main reasons. First, it was connected to Thomas Macy, one of the first people to settle on the island of Nantucket. Second, it was home to the Colby family for almost 250 years.
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History of the House
The Macy-Colby House has a long and fascinating story that involves two important families and a famous poet.
The First Owner: Thomas Macy
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The first part of the house was built around 1649 by a man named Thomas Macy. He was an important person in the early days of Amesbury, serving as the town's first clerk.
In the 1600s, the leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony were very strict Puritans. They had strong rules about religion. Thomas Macy got into trouble with these leaders because he helped a group of people called Quakers. At the time, Quakers were not treated well for their beliefs. Macy gave them a safe place to stay in his house.
Because of this conflict, Macy decided to leave Amesbury in 1659. He and his family became the first European settlers on Nantucket. His story of leaving Massachusetts was later told in a poem called "The Exile" by the famous poet John Greenleaf Whittier.
The Colby Family Era
In 1654, before he left for Nantucket, Thomas Macy sold his house to Anthony Colby. Anthony had sailed to America from England in 1630 with a group of settlers on a famous journey known as the Winthrop Fleet. He was one of the first people to help start the town of Amesbury.
The house stayed in the Colby family for 245 years! Nine generations of Colbys lived there, passing it down from parent to child. Around 1740, a family member named Obadiah Colby made major changes to the house, giving it the saltbox shape it has today.
In 1899, a descendant named Moses Colby gave the house and land to the Bartlett Cemetery Association. He wanted it to be a memorial to honor both the Macy and Colby families and the town of Amesbury.
The Macy-Colby House Today
Today, the Macy–Colby House is cared for by a group called the Friends of the Macy–Colby House Association. They keep the house in good condition so that everyone can learn about its history.
The house is open to the public on Saturdays during the summer. Visitors can step inside and see what life was like hundreds of years ago in colonial America.
See also
- List of historic houses in Massachusetts
- List of the oldest buildings in Massachusetts
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts
