Newbury, Mass #2: Visited the Historic Spencer-Peirce-Little House/ Owners, Rooms

In a previous blog we visited the Historic Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm in Newbury, Massachusetts. Today's blog is about the historic house that was built on the property 65 years after the farm was created. The farm started in 1625 and it wasn't until 1690 that a residential house for the Spencer family was constructed, by the next owner. 

SPENCER FAMILY HISTORY - John Spencer, a wealthy man from England was granted 400 acres of cleared grazing land in 1625. It was previously cleared because it was farmed by indigenous people. After 10 years he returned to England. Sadly, he died there and the Pierce family bought property. The only houses that were on the property until 1690 were for farmlands. That's when Daniel Pierce Jr. a stone house to resemble a country squire house in England. TODAY, The nearby Newbury Airport is part of the property.

WHAT IS A SLEDGE? The house's stone walls are 3-4 feet thick and the stone was quarried in nearby Plum Island, now part of the property. Stone was transported by "sledges" over marshland (A heavy, low-profile wooden drag designed without raised runners to "float" massive stones over soil & mud without sinking).

THE HOUSE - Had diamond shaped windows until the 1800s. There's no wooden framing in exterior walls. It's all stone! There's a small brick niche over the front door which likely held a lantern for people to see the front door, since in the 1690s it was dark! 

ROOMS DECORATED IN DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS TODAY 

THE TRACY FAMILY (Not part of the house name)- Nathaniel Tracy was the founder and financier of Revolutionary activities. He was wealthy but lost his fortune during the revoltionary war and left destitute except the house, because he had put it in his son's name. Once broke, he moved with his wife and his 11 children into his son's house. Later he traveled to England where he died at 44 years old. Interestingly enough, he financed ship builders who built ships for the NEXT House's owner, Captain Boardman.

THE BOARDMAN FAMILY -   Captain Boardman profited from slave labor. Became a privateer, a legal pirate - That is, he took over British ships and stole them for the revolution then hid them in Newburyport harbor. He was captured, jailed in England, freed and returned then bought the farm from widow Tracy & kids who moved to Newburyport. Boardman built the wooden addition died in 1811. His wife hired lawyer who created a property map, used today by the Historical Society.

FINAL OWNER- LITTLE FAMILY- In 1860, Henry Little was a tenant farmer. By 1870 he bought the manor house. He had children who died of tuberculosis and another in an awful farming accident. By the 1970s, there were 3 unmarried adults living there:  2 sisters and a cousin. They had long term tenant farmers work the land. The Little family lived here 125 years until 1985. Decendants in the 1970s signed the deed to the historical society.

(Photo right: Dining room in 1940s style. Credit: R.G.)

Dining room from 1940s, as Little family enjoyed. Set up like pics in a 40s magazine. Ceiling in dining room is sinking, so the family trimmed the tops of the furniture instead of fixing the ceiling because the beams were sagging. Historic society installed steel vertical beams to support structure.

Kitchen is decorated in the 1900 to 1920 style. All surfaces were painted. The fireplace was originally a walk in but reduced over time to suit an oven. Cast iron tub is inset in wall, and had fire lit underneath for generating hot water until 1910 when electricity arrived but was unreliable. WHY? They had 1 service wire from Main street down long driveway that would fail during storms.

Living room. Renovated in 1870. Decorated in that age. Henry little was a realtor and banker. Met clients in this room. 

 (Photo right: Living room in the 1870s style, as built by the Little family)

(The open fireplace on the second floor in a room over the downstairs kitchen)

EARTHQUAKE FACT - On the night of October 29, 1727, the most damaging historic earthquake in New England centered off of Cape Ann, MA. It is estimated to have been between 6.0 and 6.3 magnitude. It took down chimneys all throughout New England. The quake struck off the NH/MA coast near present-day Seabrook and Salisbury, with shocks felt from Connecticut to Canada. The worst damage was between Cape Cod and Portsmouth, NH.

(Photo: A bedroom on the second floor)

THE UPSTAIRS  - There was a room on the second floor in the original stone house section. The room was located over the kitchen and has fireplace 1690 of stone and plaster. Was either used as secondary kitchen or bedroom. See photo below for the exposed fireplace!