William Peabody House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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William Peabody House
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Location | N. River Rd., Milford, New Hampshire |
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Area | 11.7 acres (4.7 ha) |
Built | 1740 |
Architectural style | Georgian |
NRHP reference No. | 79000200 |
Added to NRHP | November 30, 1979 |
The William Peabody House is a very old house located on North River Road in Milford, New Hampshire. It was built around 1740 by William Peabody, who was the first English settler in the Milford area. This house is a great example of Georgian style architecture, even though it had a fire in 1973. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 because of its importance.
Contents
What Does the William Peabody House Look Like?
The William Peabody House sits on more than 11 acres (about 4.5 hectares) of land. It overlooks the Souhegan River, which is northeast of Milford's town center. The house is on the north side of North River Road, which cuts through the property.
House Design and Features
The house is two-and-a-half stories tall and made of wood. It has a pointed roof and a chimney in the middle. The outside is covered with overlapping wooden boards called clapboards. The front of the house has five sections, with the main door in the middle.
The front door has decorative columns on each side. Above the door, there's a small window and a triangular shape called a pediment. The windows on the first floor have decorative ledges.
Inside the House
Inside, the house has a special layout with the chimney in the center. There are living rooms on both sides of the chimney. A large "keeping room" stretches across the back of the house, behind the chimney.
Some original parts of the house are still there. These include wide floorboards and strong wooden beams called "gunstock timber framing." There is also some original wood paneling. After the 1973 fire, some parts were carefully rebuilt to look exactly like the originals, using old photos and pieces that survived.
Who Was William Peabody?
William Peabody came from Boxford, Massachusetts. He is known as the first English person to settle in the area that is now Milford. He arrived in 1740 and started clearing land. This land had been given to his father because of his service in a war called King Philip's War.
Peabody Family History
For many years in the 1700s and 1800s, the William Peabody House was home to several generations of the Peabody family. They were important people in the local community.