Rebecca Nurse Homestead facts for kids
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The Rebecca Nurse Homestead is a very old house in Danvers, Massachusetts. It was built around 1678. Over the years, new parts were added to the house. In 1909, it was carefully fixed up and opened as a museum.
Today, a group called the Danvers Alarm List Company takes care of the house. This group is made up of volunteers who act out scenes from the American Revolutionary War. The homestead is also part of the Salem Village Historic District, which is an important historical area.
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About the House
The house was first built around 1678. It had two floors, a main entrance in the middle, and a large chimney. Before 1720, a kitchen was added to the back of the house. More parts were added around 1750, 1850, and in the early 1900s.
The house was a private home until 1907. Then, a group bought it and worked hard to restore it. In 1926, they gave the house to another historical group. Finally, in 1981, the Danvers Alarm List Company took over. They continue to share the history of the house and the colonial period.
Who Lived Here?
Rebecca Nurse is the most famous person connected to this property. She was accused and found guilty during the terrible Salem Witch Trials in 1692. She was 71 years old when she died. It's important to know that Rebecca Nurse did not live in the house you see today.
Later, her great-grandson, Francis Nurse, lived in the house. He was a soldier who marched from here to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. This battle was one of the first in the Revolutionary War. The Putnam family bought the property in 1784 and lived there until 1905.
What You Can See Inside
Today, visitors can explore four of the oldest rooms in the house. These include the original "great hall," a sleeping "chamber," the "lean-to" kitchen, and a "parlor." These rooms have been restored to look like they did long ago. They are filled with furniture and items from that time period.
The Grounds and Other Buildings
The property covers 27 acres, which is a lot of land! There are several other interesting buildings on the grounds.
- One building holds parts of a house built around 1681. This was the home of Dr. Zerubabel Endecott, whose father was Governor John Endecott. You can see how these old buildings were put together.
- There is also a good copy of the first Salem Village Meetinghouse. This building was made in 1984 for a movie called Three Sovereigns for Sarah. You can take a tour inside it.
The grounds also have the Nurse Burial Ground, where Rebecca Nurse is buried. There's also a shoemaker's shed and a dairy shed, showing what life was like back then.
Remembering Rebecca Nurse
In 1885, Rebecca Nurse's family and local people put up a monument to remember her. This tall stone monument was the first memorial for someone accused during the witch trials in North America. A famous poet named John Greenleaf Whittier wrote the words on the monument.
In 1992, for the 300th anniversary of the trials, the remains of George Jacobs were also buried in the Nurse Burial Ground. He was another person who was accused and died during the trials.
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