Old Chelmsford Garrison House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Chelmsford Garrison House Complex
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Old Chelmsford Garrison House
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 105 Garrison Road, Chelmsford, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1691 |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000289 |
| Added to NRHP | May 8, 1973 |
The Old Chelmsford Garrison House is a very old and special house in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. It's the oldest house in town! Today, it's a museum where you can learn about history. A group called the Garrison House Society helps keep it safe. This historic house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This list helps protect important historical sites across the United States.
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The History of the Old Chelmsford Garrison House
The exact year the Old Chelmsford Garrison House was built isn't perfectly clear. Some people believe it was built before 1691. They think it might have been one of the "garrison houses" in Chelmsford. A garrison house was a strong, fortified home built to protect families during times of danger.
When Was the House Built?
Records from 1702 show land being transferred, but the house itself isn't mentioned. This makes some historians think the house was built after 1700. The way the house was built also suggests it might be from the early 1700s. This means it might not have been a fortified garrison house after all.
Who Owned the House?
For a very long time, only three families owned the Old Chelmsford Garrison House. This is quite unusual for such an old building! Because it stayed in so few hands, not many changes were made to it. This means the house looks very much like it did hundreds of years ago. It's like a time capsule! In 1952, the Garrison House Society took over ownership. They made it into the museum we see today.
What You Can See at the Complex
The Old Chelmsford Garrison House is not just one building. It's part of a whole complex of historical structures. When you visit, you can explore several interesting places.
- A historic barn
- A summer kitchen, used for cooking in warmer months
- A working blacksmith shop, where you can see how metal was shaped
- An herb garden, growing plants used for medicine and cooking long ago
- A craft house, possibly for traditional crafts
- The "Hill Jock House," which was moved to this spot in 2004 to save it from being torn down
See also
- List of historic houses in Massachusetts
- List of the oldest buildings in Massachusetts
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
