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Sampson's Folly facts for kids

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Sampson's Folly/Josiah Sampson House
40 Old Kings Road, Barnstable MA.jpg
Sampson's Folly is located in Cape Cod
Sampson's Folly
Location in Cape Cod
Sampson's Folly is located in Massachusetts
Sampson's Folly
Location in Massachusetts
Sampson's Folly is located in the United States
Sampson's Folly
Location in the United States
Location 40 Old King's Road,
Barnstable, Massachusetts
Built 1807
Architectural style Federal
MPS Barnstable MRA
NRHP reference No. 87000326
Added to NRHP September 18, 1987

Sampson's Folly, also known as the Josiah Sampson House, is a very old and important house. It is located in the small village of Cotuit, which is part of Barnstable, Massachusetts. This house was built in 1807. It is known as one of the best examples of the "Federal style" of architecture in the whole area. The Sampson family, who owned the house, were connected to the Crocker family. Both families owned a lot of land nearby. This special house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 18, 1987.

About Sampson's Folly

The Sampson House stands on the northwest side of Old King's Road. It is just north of where Old King's Road meets Sampsons House Knob. It is a large, two-story building made of wood. The main part of the house has a sloped roof with a smaller, flat section on top called a monitor.

The front of the house has five sections, all lined up evenly. The main door is in the middle. It has windows on both sides and a simple decorative frame above it. The corners of the building have special decorative blocks that look like stone, called quoins. These same decorations are also on the three-section part of the house that sticks out to the left.

History of the House

Josiah Sampson built this house in 1807. It is the most detailed and fancy Federal style house in Cotuit. Josiah Sampson married the daughter of Captain Joseph Crocker. The Crocker family owned a lot of land in the area.

During the 1800s, members of both the Sampson and Crocker families farmed the land around the house. Later, in the 1940s and 1950s, the house was used as a clubhouse. Today, it is a private home again for a single family. Most of the land that the Crocker family once owned has now been built on. It is used for homes and a golf course nearby.

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