Sewall-Scripture House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sewall-Scripture House
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Sewall-Scripture House
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 40 King St., Rockport, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1832 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001902 |
| Added to NRHP | September 30, 1982 |
The Sewall-Scripture House is a special old building in Rockport, Massachusetts. It's now a historic house museum, which means it's a house kept just as it was long ago. You can visit it to see how people lived in the past! The Sandy Bay Historical Society owns and takes care of this unique house.
Inside the Sewall-Scripture Museum, you'll find many old things. These include antique furniture, items from the time period when the house was built, and other cool objects that tell the story of Rockport. The house itself is built in the Federal style, which was popular in the United States in the early 1800s. What makes it extra special is that it's the only house in Rockport made from local granite stone. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, recognizing its importance.
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Discovering the Sewall-Scripture House
The Sewall-Scripture House is located at the corner of King and Granite Streets in Rockport. Granite Street is also known as Massachusetts Route 127. The house is a two-and-a-half-story building with a sloped roof on the sides. The main part of the house is built from granite that came from local quarries.
Unique Granite Construction
The front and side walls of the house are made from large, smooth granite blocks. These blocks are about one foot by four feet in size. The back wall is also made of stone, but it uses a mix of rough and square pieces. A wooden addition, called an "ell," extends from the back of the house. This part is covered in wooden boards and seems to have been built at the same time as the main house. The front of the house has five window sections, with the main entrance in the middle. The doorway is shaped like a round arch and has narrow windows on either side.
History of the Sewall-Scripture House
The Sewall-Scripture House was built in 1832 by a man named Levi Sewall. He owned a granite quarry in a place called Pigeon Cove. The heavy stone used to build this house was pulled all the way from his quarry by teams of strong oxen.
Levi Sewall's Quarry Business
Levi Sewall was one of the most important quarry owners in Rockport. His business worked on its own for many years. Later, in 1921, it joined with another big company called the Rockport Granite Company. Levi Sewall's family continued to own the house until 1957. That's when the Sandy Bay Historical Society bought it. While there are many shops and other buildings in Rockport made from local stone, the Sewall-Scripture House is the only home built this way.
See also
