Parker Tavern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Parker Tavern
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Parker Tavern in 2008
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 103 Washington Street, Reading, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1694 |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| MPS | Reading MRA (AD) |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000286 |
| Added to NRHP | August 19, 1975 |
The Parker Tavern is a very old house in Reading, Massachusetts, United States. It was built way back in 1694, making it the oldest building still standing in Reading! This special house is a historic house museum, which means it's a place where you can learn about history by seeing how people lived long ago.
The house was built by Abraham Bryant, who was a farmer and a blacksmith. Later, in the 1700s, a man named Ephraim Parker ran a tavern there. A tavern was like a restaurant and inn where travelers could eat and stay. Since 1923, the Parker Tavern has been a museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 because of its important history.
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About the Parker Tavern
The Parker Tavern is located on Washington Street in Reading. It's a two-and-a-half-story house made of wood. It has a special roof shape called a saltbox style. This style is common for old houses in New England. The house has wooden shingles on the outside and sits on a strong granite foundation.
Building the House
In 1693, Abraham Bryant, a blacksmith, bought the land where the house now stands. The next year, he paid much more in taxes. This suggests that the house was built by 1694. His family lived in the house until the 1730s.
New Owners and a Tavern
After the Bryant family, the house was owned by Ebenezer Nichols. He was a tanner, someone who prepared animal hides. He was also an important person in the town's government.
Later, Ephraim Parker became the owner. He was the great-grandson of Thomas Parker, who helped found Reading. Ephraim Parker lived in the house until he passed away in 1804. From 1770 to 1785, he was allowed to run a tavern right there in his home.
The Revolutionary War Connection
Ephraim Parker played a part in the American Revolutionary War. He fought in the Battle of Lexington and Concord, which was one of the first battles of the war.
During the war, Parker also hosted a British officer named Colonel Archibald Campbell. Campbell was a prisoner of war. His army group had been captured in Boston Harbor in 1776. Colonel Campbell stayed at the Parker Tavern until 1778. Then, he was exchanged for an American hero named Ethan Allen.
The House as a Museum
For most of the 1800s, the Sweetser family owned the house. In 1916, the town of Reading bought the property. Then, in 1923, the town sold it to the Reading Antiquarian Society for a very small amount of money.
Since then, the society has taken care of the Parker Tavern. They operate it as a historic house museum. You can usually visit the museum on Sundays from 2 to 5 PM, between May and October. It's a great place to step back in time and imagine what life was like hundreds of years ago!
More to Explore
- List of the oldest buildings in Massachusetts
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Reading, Massachusetts
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
