Guide Manuals Keep the Staff 'On the Same Page'

Projects: Historic House Guide Manuals VARIETY A RTS E NTERPRISES & Interpretive Materials EDITORIAL & DESIGN SERVICES, RESEARCH, & INTERPRETATION for MUSEUMS, HISTORICAL SOCIETIES, & CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS Guide manuals keep the staff ‘on the same page’, and interpretive handouts build loyal visitors By R.W. Bacon Regional site manager Bethnay Groff minimal, low-cost, informative take- An ongoing project with a remarkably charged me with (1) surveying and away handout demonstrates a sincere long shelf-life has been the compilation evaluating interpretive information in commitment to the educational mission – and subsequent revisions – of the four large file cabinets, (2) selecting component. Demonstrating this guide training manual for Historic New categories of information for an all-new commitment builds visitor loyalty and England’s Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm in guide training manual, (3) organizing encourages membership support. Newbury, Mass. The 230-acre working the material in logical progression, and Therefore as part of the Family farm is also the site of the massive 1690 (4) producing a manual for the site Genealogy Day event conceived and stone manor house, the centerpiece of manager as well as every guide on staff executed also in 2006, I developed an interpretive tour that covers for the new season. interpretive materials to include in the multiple periods of ownership from its The result presented to all guides at the program packet – single-page handouts beginnings until the late 20th century. early-season training meeting was a 20- on low-cost paper – for all five The project began in 2006 during my section-tabbed, 442-page binder. The properties in the region. In the decade internship with Historic New England three-inch thick heavyweight reference since, these interpretive materials have as part of the Harvard graduate was tightly clutched by every guide for proven useful to the guide staff and program in museum studies. At that years. In fact, in too many cases it informative to the public. time the guide training resources were disappeared with guides who departed On the next few pages are the guide scattered or buried deep in the files, for other museum career adventures. manual covers and contents, followed making it difficult for the seasonal The Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm guide by the “one-sheet” interpretive guide employees to get “on the same manual proved to be such a useful materials developed for the Historic page” with tour presentations. reference that I assembled a similar New England properties that are still manual for the Coffin House in working for the organization today. Newbury, Mass., a 1678 home that grew and evolved along with the many generations of the family until its acquisition by Historic New England (SPNEA) in 1929. This binder was a slim volume in comparison: 15 tabbed sections and only 160 pages. A Interpretive Handout Materials A byproduct of the survey of files at the Newbury, Mass. regional headquarters was a thorough understanding of all five properties in the region, and a sense of what curiosities each property would arouse among visitors. My experience as a public presenter convinced me long ago that every museum visitor or program attendee should leave with something tangible in-hand that reinforces the content presented. The rationale: Museums invest in glossy marketing materials to draw the visitors in. But then after an information-packed visit or tour, they Coffin House Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm Guide Training Manual: often leave with nothing in-hand for Guide Training Manual: 15 sections, 160 pages. future reference. In my view, even a 20 sections, 442 pages.

P. O. BOX 489 • NEWBURYPORT, MA 01950 • TEL.: 978-462-4407 • E-MAIL: [email protected] • WEB: www.VarietyArtsEnterprises.com SPENCER- PEIRCE-LITTLE FARM 5 Little’s Lane, Newbury, Massachusetts ~ 1690 ~

Regional Office: Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm Bethany Groff 5 Little’s Lane Regional Site Manager Newbury, MA 01951 [email protected] (978) 462-2634 Compilation from HNE files by R.W. Bacon, spring 2006. Revised spring 2012. SPENCER-PEIRCE-LITTLE FARM 5 Little’s Lane, Newbury, Massachusetts ~ 1690 ~ ~ GUIDE MANUAL ~ Compilation from HNE files by R.W. Bacon, spring 2006. Revised & updated, spring 2012.

Table of Contents 1...... Schedule 2...... Contact List – Phone #s & E-mail Addresses 3...... Opening & Closing Procedures 4...... Cleaning Protocols 5...... Event-Specific Protocols 6...... Security Procedures 7...... Animal Care Procedures 8...... SPL “Walk Through Time” Tour Information 9...... Event Tour Outline 10...... 2009 Dendrochronology Report 11...... General Newbury History: Old Town and The Waterside 12...... Chronology of Ownership 13...... Spencer (1635-1651) & Peirce (1651-1778) Periods 14...... Tracy Period (1778-1797) 15...... Boardman Period (1797-1813) 16...... Little Period (1861-1986) 17...... Stekionis Family (1913-1994)(Tenant House Exhibit) 18...... Agricultural History at SPL Farm 19...... HNE Newbury & North Shore Region Properties) 20...... Personnel Policy THE COFFIN HOUSE ~ 14 High Road, Newbury, Mass. ~ c. 1678

Regional Office: Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm 5 Little’s Lane R.W. Bacon Newbury, MA 01951 (978) 462-4407 (978) 462-2634 [email protected] THE COFFIN HOUSE ~ 14 High Road, Newbury, Mass. ~ c. 1678 ~ GUIDE MANUAL ~ Compilation from HNE files by R.W. Bacon, spring 2006. Table of Contents

1...... Tour Outline 2...... Tour Information 3...... Family Tree 4...... Architectural & Conjectural Evolution 5...... Dendrochronology Report 6...... Good Wives (L.T. Ulrich) 7. . . Ould Newbury (J. Currier); Away Off Shore (N. Philbrick) 8...... Plans & Drawings 9...... Old-Time New England - 1929 Article (J.W. Spring) 10...... Old-Time New England - 1936 Article (H. Huse) 11. . . . Old-Time New England - 1950 Article (F.D. Kingsbury) 12...... Antiques Magazine - 1960 Article (N.F. Little) 13...... 1839 Letter (Joshua Coffin) 14...... On Dating N.E. Houses (Antiques, 1945, N.F. Little) 15...... Physical Evidence Recently Uncovered SPENCER-PEIRCE-LITTLE FARM ~ 5 Little’s Lane, Newbury, Mass. ~ 1690 Open Thursday through Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., June 1 through October 15 (tours or drop-in basis). Open Wednesdays for group tours by appointment. Admission: Children $4, Adults $5, Families $18; Historic New England members free. Directions: Take I-95 to Rte. 113, Newburyport. Rte. 113 turns into Rte. 1A (High Rd.) Follow Rte. 1A for 3.7 miles. Turn left onto Little’s Lane. A 230-acre farm . . . a family-friendly site for hands-on learning . . . a majestic 1690 stone house . . . and a National Historic Landmark From 1935-1984 the farm was managed by tenant farmer Scale: One Inch = 30 Feet At Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, Tenant Farmer’s House Outer Jacob Stekionis (1891-1984) East Chamber visitors of all ages can enjoy hands-on (added c. 1800) (m. Dorothy, 1900-1994). Dining Room N Exposed Building activities that teach about farm life (Occupied until 1994) He worked for the Littles since Conservation Work coming from Lithuania in 1913. Little Family over the centuries. Experience old- Stekionis Family 1940-1986 Inner East 20th Century fashioned trades & pastimes, explore North Chamber Hands-on Chamber nature trails, and enjoy a picnic under Area Stair Porch South Hall Chamber ancient maple trees. Pump water from Visitors Kitchen Entry Porch Peirce North Bath Archaeology Little Family Family Bath a well instead of turning on a tap. c. 1690 Exhibit want 1930 Look through a stereo viewer instead Living Room West of watching TV. Learn about archae- to know . . . Little Family Chamber 1851-1877 ology by piecing together excavated Where did all the stones come from? Vignettes in each room Tracy Family Hands-on depict a distinct period 1778-1796 “artifacts.” Visit our resident farm A geologist engaged by Historic New Area in the 300-year animals – a cooperative program with England/SPNEA concluded that the history of the house. the MSPCA. The farm is open on a stones used for the house were collected Hands-on Small locally, with some stones likely hauled Archaeology Chamber drop-in basis, but “Walk Through Station Hall Closet Time” house tours are also available. from the lower end of Plum Island. Wood extension to west wing What did the farm produce? The farm added c. 1800 West Parlor West Parlor during Boardman ownership. Chamber The 1690 house is also a laboratory was always a commercial venture, not a Boardman Family 1797-1812 (currently used for learning about social history, subsistence farm. Various owners raised a as a classroom) building conservation, and archaeol- broad range of animals (sheep, cows, ogy. Archaeological digs have yielded pigs, horses, chickens) and crops (fruits, evidence that contributes to the story vegetables, barley). In the late 19th First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan of the house. View-ports throughout century the primary business of the Little show how preservation architects family was training & selling draft horses. addressed critical structural problems. When was the barn built? The barn northwest of the house was built c. 1775. South The medieval-style cruciform The current Visitor Center is located at structure was designated a National (Front) the end of the former carriage barn, Elevation Historic Landmark in 1968. which was built c. 1850. A Time Line of Ownership . . . John Spencer Daniel Peirce Daniel Peirce, Jr. Benjamin Peirce Daniel Peirce Nathaniel Tracy Offin Boardman John Pettingell Edward H. Little Eliza A. Little Historic (1604-1648) (1611-1677) (1638-1704) (1669-1711) & William Peirce (1751-1796) (1748-1811) (1745-1827) (1819-1877) (1861-1959) New England In 1635,Spencer m. Sarah (?) m. m. Lydia Frost Charles Peirce, Jr. m. Mary Lee m. Sarah Greenleaf m. Sarah Smith m. Catherine Little Agnes L. Little (SPNEA) was granted (d. 1654) Elizabeth Milward (1674-1752) left no heirs, and (1755-1819) (1747-1796) (1751-1836) (1824-1923) (1896-1982) Upon the death 400 acres m. 2nd (1644-1709) ownership of Revolutionary-era m. 2nd Newburyport Leased 1851; Amelia W. Little of Amelia Little, in Newbury. Ann (Goodale) The stone house Charles Peirce the farm was privateer acquired Sarah Tappan merchant used purchased 1861. (1892-1986) SPNEA began He returned (Milward) was built during (1694-1764) in dispute both divisions (1745-1820) farm as summer Edward F. Little Farm managed the monumental to England. (1600-1690) Daniel Jr.’s m. Sarah Frost between his of property. Mariner, merchant, residence (1853-1935) by tenant farmer architectural A blacksmith, ownership (1699-?) nephew Remodeled ship owner, farmer. 1813-1827. m. Sarah Adams Jacob Stekionis. conservation His nephew, he purchased in 1690. & brother. interior until Added west wing Pettingell heirs (1854-1921) In 1971 cousins project and John Spencer the farm in 1651. The other family Charles Peirce, Jr. The property 1786 bankruptcy. & tenant house. rented to Daniel N. Little Agnes & Amelia developed the (16??-16??) Also lived on home was on (1719-1772) was divided His widow sold Kept a detailed tenant farmers (1858-1912) deeded farm to “Walk Through inherited the farm Federal St., Federal St., m. Mary Feveryear into two the property to diary of 1827-1851, then m. Amelia Bradley SPNEA, reserving Time” historic in 1648. Newburyport. Newburyport. (1738-1760) parcels. Offin Boardman. farm activities. leased to E.H. Little. (1863-1903) life tenancy. interpretation.

1635-1651 1651-1677 1677-1704 1704-1772 1772-1778 1778-1797 1797-1813 1813-1861 1861-1935 1935-1986 1986-Present

Original “Plan of the Homestead of Boardman’s Farm” An 1812 survey of the farmyard . . . by Paul Titcomb, 1812

In 1812, after the death of Offin Boardman, two detailed surveys of the farm were undertaken in preparation for the sale of the property. At right is the survey by Paul Titcomb, “A Plan of the Homestead of Boardman’s Farm.” The survey indicated buildings, assigned use areas, landscape features, pathways, field divisions, boundaries, and abutters. The plan is shown at right. In the early 1990s SPNEA (Historic New England) preservation carpenter Bruce Blanchard drew a three-dimensional conjectural drawing based on Titcomb’s plan. This drawing, below, gives a readily understandable view of the farmyard as it would have appeared during Offin Boardman’s ownership.

1812 Based on the survey “Plan of the Homestead of Boardman’s Farm” by Paul Titcomb, 1812 (Conjectural Drawing by Bruce Blanchard)

1. Stone House A. Front Yard 2. Wood Part of Dwelling House B. Flower Garden 3. Scullery C. Back Yard 4. Farm House D. Nursery & Garden 5. Poultry House E. Cow Yard 6. Wood House Old F. Yard between Cider House 7. Hoghouse F. & Sheep Pen 8. Poultry House in Garden G. Passageway to Orchard & Barn 9. Grainery H. Garden 10. Stable I. Fruit Garden I. 11. Barn J. Orchard 12. Cider House 13. Shed 10. 14. Sheep Pen & Shed H. 4. 15. Linter & Shed J. 15. 6. G. 3. 7. C. 5. 11. 9. 1. 14. 2. B. E. A. F. 8.

12. 13. D.

Regional Office: Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm 5 Little’s Lane Newbury, MA 01951 (978) 462-2634 Defining the past. Shaping the future. Interpretive materials by R.W. Bacon (2006) www.HistoricNewEngland.org THE COFFIN HOUSE ~ 14 High Road, Newbury, Mass. ~ c. 1678 Open the first & third Saturdays of the month, June 1 through October 15, from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. (last tour at 4 p.m.); tours are approximately one hour. Admission $5, seniors $4, students & children 6-12 $2.50; Historic New England members free. Directions: Take I-95 to Rte. 113, Newburyport. Rte. 113 turns into Rte. 1A (High Rd.) Follow Rte. 1A for 3.3 miles. The Coffin House is on the right, just before the church.

The Coffin House chronicles the evolution of domestic life in rural New England over three centuries. The structure, which Lucy Coffin’s contains the family’s furnishings, began as a simple dwelling built in Sitting Room “Best” (1880s) 1678 in the post-medieval style. Tristram Coffin and his family lived, Parlor Resident cooked, and slept in two or three rooms; their possessions were few. (1820s) Caretaker’s New Kitchen Apartment In 1712, the house was more than doubled in size to provide living Buttery (1760s) space for a married son and his family. As the family grew, partitions (1700s) were added and lean-tos built so that different generations could continue to live together under one roof. Coffin House Hall Chamber In 1785, two Coffin brothers legally divided the structure into two Hall Education (1680s) (1680s) separate dwellings, each with its own kitchen and living spaces. With Room rooms from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, the Coffin House Joshua Coffin’s North South Chamber Chamber Pantry Bedroom (1680s) (1680s) depicts the impact of an expanding economy and new concepts, such (1785) as the notion of privacy, on architecture and modes of living. For more (c.1840) J.C.’s details about the Coffin House, including history and photos, visit Study N www.historicnewengland.org/historic-properties/homes/coffin-house. First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan While in Newbury, visit the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm less than a mile away. Other Historic New England properties are nearby: the Swett- Visitors want to know . . . Ilsley House (Newbury) and Rocky Hill Meeting House (Amesbury). How do we know when the house was built? For many years the house was Visit HistoricNewEngland.org for more information about museum visits. thought to have been built in 1654. In 2002 sample borings of timbers in the original structure and front range were analyzed by the Oxford University Architectural evolution . . . Dendrochronology Laboratory in England. Study of the growth rings determined the original structure was built in 1678 and the front range in 1712. Was Tristram Coffin, Jr. related to the Coffin family of Nantucket? Yes. Tristram Coffin, Sr. and family [except sons Tristram Coffin, Jr.; Peter Coffin; and daughter Elizabeth (Coffin) Greenleaf] moved to Nantucket in 1659. How and when did Historic New England acquire the Coffin House? The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA, now known as Historic New England) was founded in 1910 to preserve examples of early New England architecture. Coffin family descendants knew they had a historic trea- 1678 1712 1799 c. 1840 sure worthy of preservation, and they gave the house to SPNEA in 1929. (original form) (front range added) (two-story addition (Joshua Coffin’s study Did any Coffin family occupants ever have indoor plumbing? No. The recon- to original structure) & rear entry added) structed privy behind the house is in the same location as in 1929.

Joseph Coffin Joshua Coffin A Coffin House Time Line . . . (1762-1805) (1792-1864) (Original House) m. Judith Toppan (1768-1801) & m. Clarissa Dutch Anna L. Coffin Edmund Coffin Colman House legally divided - 1785 Margaret Sutherland (1775-1861) (1792-1821) (1838-1907) (1841-1915) A Time Line of Ownership . . . (Front Range) 1774-1805 & Anna Chase 1876-1883 1883-1915 (1801-76) Tristram Coffin, Jr. Nathaniel Coffin Joseph Coffin Joshua Coffin Edmund Coffin 1809-1876 (1632-1704) (1669-1749) (1702-1773) (1732-1774) (1764-1825) Margaret (Colman) SPNEA m. Judith (Greenleaf) Somerby m. Sarah (Brocklebank) Dole m. Margaret Morse m. Sarah Bartlett m. Mary Moody (1766-1803) Lucy Coffin Merriam Historic (1625-1705) (1666-1750) (1702-1775) (1732-1798) & Lucy Kimball (1776-1858) (1811-1893) (1848-1940) New England 1678-1705 1705-1749 1749-1773 1773-1774 1774-1858 1858-1893 1893-1929 1929 - Present A Time Line of Newbury and beyond . . . 1620 1635 1642 1642 1675 1764 1765 1775-83 1812-14 1819 1840 1851 1860-65 1914-18 Plymouth Permanent Tristram Coffin, Sr. Newbury King Town of Newbury American War of 1812 Town of Population: Newburyport U.S. World War I (Mass.) settlement & family settle in Population: Philip’s Newburyport Population: Revolutionary West Newbury Newbury-3389 incorporated Civil War Colony in Newbury Haverhill, Mass. 455 War incorporated 2960 War incorporated Newburyport-7124 as a city

Become a Member of Historic New England! Regional Office: Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm regional preservation organization in the country. 5 Little’s Lane We’re a membership organization – not an exclusive club – so we Newbury, MA 01951 welcome you to join us in our efforts. (978) 462-2634 For membership categories & benefits, please visit our web site. Defining the past. Shaping the future. Interpretive materials by R.W. Bacon (Revised 4/2015) www.HistoricNewEngland.org Tristram Coffin Family Dionis Coffin Sr. immigrant Stevens The Coffin House Coffin House Families (1609-1681) ancestors (1609-1676) b. Brixton, Devon, b. Brixton, Devon, c. 1678 England; m. 1629, England; Devon, England 14 High Road, Newbury, Mass. in Newbury, Mass., 1678-1929 d. Nantucket, d. Nantucket, Mass. (9 children) Mass. Prepared for Historic New England by R.W. Bacon, June 2010. Tours: 1st & 3rd Sat., 11-4 (June 1 - Oct. 15)

b. England, b. England, b. England, b. England, b. England b. Salisbury or Haverhill, Mass., b. Haverhill, Mass., b. Haverhill, Mass., b. Newbury, Mass., d. Exeter, N.H. d. Newbury, Mass. d. Newbury, Mass. d. Nantucket, Mass. d. Haverhill, Mass. d. Haverhill, Mass. d. Nantucket, Mass. d. Edgartown, M.V., Mass. d. Nantucket, Mass. Peter Coffin Tristram Coffin, Jr. Elizabeth Coffin James Coffin John Coffin Deborah Coffin Mary Coffin John Coffin Steven Coffin (1630-1715) (1632-1704) (1634-1678) (1640-1720) (1641-1642) (1642-1642) (1644-1717) (1647-1711) (1652-1734) m. m. m. m. m. m. m. Abigail Starbuck Judith Greenleaf Stephen Mary Severance Nathaniel Deborah Austin Mary Bunker (c. 1635-c. 1660) (Somerby) Greenleaf (1645-1720) Starbuck (1650-1717) (1652-1724) (10 children) (1625-1705) (1628-1690) (13 children) (1634-1719) (11 children) (11 children) (10 children) (10 children) (10 children) Tristram Coffin, Jr. Family Tristram Coffin, Jr. (1632-1704) m. Judith Greenleaf (Somerby) (1625-1705) 1652 in Newbury, Mass.; 10 children; plus 3 children w/ Henry Somerby (1610-1652) (Coffin House in Newbury built in 1678.)

Judith Coffin Deborah Coffin Mary Coffin James Coffin John Coffin Lydia Coffin Enoch Coffin Steven Coffin Peter Coffin Nathaniel Coffin (1653-1723) (1655-1723) (1657-1737) (1659-1735) (1660-1677) (1662-1714) (1664-1675) (1665-1725) (1667-1747) (1669-1749) m. m. m. m. m1. Moses Little m. m. m. John Sanborn Joseph Knight Joseph Little Florence Hook (2 children) Sarah Atkinson Apphia Dole Sarah (1649-1727) (1652-1723) (1653-1740) (1663-1712) m2. John Pike (1665-1724) (1668-1725) Brocklebank (10 children) (11 children) (9 children) (11 children) (4 children) (13 children) (7 children) (1668-1750) (8 children) Nathaniel Coffin Family Nathaniel Coffin (1669-1749) m. Sarah Brocklebank (1668-1750) 1693 in Newbury, Mass. (8 children) (Nathaniel added front range of house facing High Road in 1712.)

John Coffin Rev. Apphia Coffin Rev. Col. Jane Coffin Edmund Coffin, Moses Coffin (1694-1762) Enoch Coffin (1698-1715) Brocklebank Joseph Coffin (1705-1783) M.D. (1711-1793) m. (1696-1728) Samuel Coffin (1702-1773) m. (1708-1789) m. Judith Greenleaf m. (1700-1727) m. John Webster m. Anna Dole (1692-1772) Mehitable Moody Margaret Morse (1703-?) Shuah Bartlett (1713-1810) (11 children) (1693-1763) (1702-1775) (2 children) (1715-1803) (5 children) (4 children) (8 children) (13 children)

Joseph Coffin Family Joseph Coffin (1702-1773) m. Margaret Morse (1702-1775) 1725 in Newbury, Mass. (8 children) (Joseph Coffin & son Joshua replaced all windows and built one-story rear addition c. 1765.)

Sarah Coffin Enoch Coffin Mary Coffin Maj. David Coffin Susanna Coffin Rev. Charles Coffin, (1726-1804) (1728-1728) (1729-1735) Joshua Coffin (1733-1764) (1735-1788) Paul Coffin M.D. m. (1732-1774) m. m. (1737-1821) (1741-1821) Rev. m. Mary Pike James Boyd m. m. Daniel Little Sarah Bartlett (1736-?) (1732-1798) Mary Gorham Hephzibah Carnes (1729-1801) (1732-1798) (2 children) (9 children) (?-1803) (1740-1796) (5 children) (12 children) (14 children) (5 children)

Joshua Coffin Family Joshua Coffin (1732-1774) m. Sarah Bartlett (1732-1798) 1755 in Newbury, Mass. (11 children)

Edmund Coffin Margaret Eunice Coffin Sarah Coffin Dorcas Coffin Joseph Coffin Charles Coffin, Thomas Rev. Elizabeth Abel (1764-1825) Coffin (1757-1759) (1759-1812) (1761-1801) (1762-1805) m1. M.D. Bartlet Ebenezer Coffin Coffin Greanleaf (1755-1783) m. m. m. Mary Moody (1765-1820) Coffin (1769-1816) (1770-1805) Coffin m. Caleb Knight Samuel Judith Toppan (6 children) m. (1767-1783) m. (1772-1773) Paul Lunt Mary Coffin (1757-1818) Plummer (1768-1801) m2. Dorcas Parker Mary Newhall (1747-1824) (1758-1759) (3 children) (1749-1809) (4 children) Lucy Kimball (?-?) (?-?) (4 children) (10 children (5 children) (4 children) (1+ children)

Joseph Coffin Family Edmund Coffin Family Joseph Coffin (1762-1805) m. 1st Judith Toppan (1768-1801) 1791 in Newbury, Mass. Joseph & Edmund Coffin Edmund Coffin (1764-1825) m. 1st Mary Moody (1766-1803) 1792 in Newbury, Mass. (6 children); (4 children); m. 2nd Margaret Sutherland (1775-1861) 1803 in Newbury, Mass. legally divided the house in 1785. m. 2nd Lucy Kimball (1776-1858) 1809 in Newbury, Mass. (5 children)

David Elizabeth Susan Joshua Thomas Sarah Sarah Coffin Frederick Mary Coffin William Harriet Edmund Lucy Margaret Coffin Coffin Coffin Coffin Coffin Coffin (1798-1831) Coffin (1799-1878) Coffin Coffin Coffin Coffin Coffin (1792-1864) (1793-1794) (1796-1869) (1813-1881) (1816-1887) m1. (1794-1817) (1795-1796) m. m. m. (1801-1837) (1803-1803) (1810-1837) (1811-1893) m. (1814-1838) m. Clarissa Dutch Samuel Caroline Micajah Last Moses m. Washington (2 children) Coffin- Samuel Pickard received deed in Pickard Frederick Kimball Lunt, Jr. Colman Ralph Huse Adams m2. Coffin surnamed Anna Chase 1854, paid off mortgage debt, and in (1793-1872) (1824-1898) (1798-1874) occupant (1817-1899) (1805-1873) (1816-1885) (3 children) 1857 returned the deed to the family. (4 children) (1795-1802) (7 children) (6 children) (3 children) Lucy Coffin wills front half of house of the house to nephew Edmund Colman in 1893. Joshua Coffin (“The Abolitionist”) Family Elizabeth Coffin / Moses Colman Family Joshua Coffin (1792-1864) m. 1st Clarissa Dutch (1792-1821) 1817 in Exeter, N.H. (2 children); Elizabeth Wiley, Elizabeth Coffin (1813-1881) m. Moses Colman (1817-1899) 1839 in Newbury, Mass. (6 children) m. 2nd Anna (Wiley) Chase (1801-1876) 1835 in Philadelphia, Pa. (3 children) sister of Anna (Wiley) (Chase) Coffin, Regional Office: assumes mortgage Spencer-Peirce- Sarah Coffin Lucia Coffin Elizabeth Coffin Anna Coffin Mary Coffin from 1867 to 1878, Edmund Coffin Margaret (1818-1896) (1820-1878) (1836-191?) (1838-1907) (1840-1924) then conveys Colman Colman Little Farm m. m. m. Conveys back half back half of house (1841-1915) (1848-1940) 5 Little’s Lane Rev. Edwin Chase George Cheney of house to Anna Coffin. Leaves reunited m. Defining the past. Shaping the future. Newbury, MA 01951 John Prince (1822-1886) (1832-1886) to cousin house to sister Arthur Merriam www.HistoricNewEngland.org (978) 462-2634 Edmund Coleman (1820-1859) (8 children) (2 children) Margaret in 1915. (1843-1929) Margaret (Colman) Merriam donated the Coffin House in 1883. (2 children) to SPNEA (now Historic New England) in 1929. SWETT-ILSLEY HOUSE ~ 4 High Road, Newbury, Mass. ~ c. 1670 A Historic New England Study Property Private Heritage Tours available with advanced reservations June 1 - Oct. 15. Call 617-227-3956. (Also open on selected dates during the year.) Directions: Take I-95 to Rte. 113, Newburyport. Rte. 113 turns into Rte. 1A (High Rd.) Follow Rte. 1A for 3.2 miles. Swett-Ilsley House is on the right, at the Newbury town line.

The Swett-Ilsley House was SPNEA’s (now The house was further extended to the north, although the addition Historic New England) first architectural acquisition in 1911. Built in had to conform to an irregular lot line. The original chimney was 1670 for Stephen Swett, innholder and proprietor of the Blue Anchor demolished, and a new central chimney was added to serve the 1650 Tavern, the original portion of the house was a single room with and 1720 portions of the house. The irregular perimeter of the house chimney bay, and faced south. was rectified in 1756, when the purchase of land to the north allowed a Passing through a series of owners, the house remained essentially final northern addition with stair-hall and separate chimney. The unaltered until about 1720, when it was enlarged in an atypical building achieved its present form with the construction of a kitchen fashion with the addition of a second unit to the north. A new roof, lean-to at the west end of the house, complete with one of the most made in part with the salvaged rafters of the old roof, was built over massive fireplaces of the period (over 10 feet wide), containing three the whole, changing the ridge pole direction from an east-west to a beehive ovens. north-south axis. Although the chimney, then located at the Over the years, in addition to being a residence, the building is known northwestern corner of the main block, was retained, the upper stack to have been a tavern, chocolate mill, tallow chandlery, tobacconist was modified when the new roof was installed. shop, printing shop, restaurant, and “house of public entertainment.” In addition, owners who were carpenters, cordwainers, saddlers, Architectural evolution . . . joiners, and blacksmiths may have plied their trade there. In its last commercial incarnation (1916-1965) it was a tea room and gift shop. Visitors want to know . . . Why did SPNEA/Historic New England choose the Swett-Ilsley House as its first acquisition in 1911? SPNEA founder William Sumner Appleton chose the Swett-Ilsley House as the organization’s first preservation project because he was interested in saving the earliest examples of humble residential architecture that were the most vulnerable to drastic remodeling or demolition. Such modest houses were less likely to be rescued by private restoration efforts than grand Georgian or Federal houses. Why isn’t the house restored and furnished? The original restoration ran out of money, and later, Appleton’s outlook on preservation vs. restoration changed. The original work, funded by the local chapter of the D.A.R., peeled away layers of lath and plaster to reveal original timbers, early eighteenth-century paneling, and one of the largest fireplaces in New England. Restoration stopped when funds were exhausted, before any long-gone original features like diamond-paned casements were recreated, resulting in a house with an unrestored eighteenth-century exterior and a partially restored interior reflecting both the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Today the house is one of Historic New England’s Study Properties, and is purposely left unfurnished to allow architectural historians and c.1670 c. 1720 c. 1739 c. 1756-1820 preservation craftsmen easy access to the building’s original features. A Time Line of Ownership . . .

1670-91 1691-13 1715-52 1752-65 1765-72 1772-80 1780-83 1783-97 1797-1911 c. 1832 c. 1890s 1911 Stephen Swett Hugh March, Jr. Isaac Noyes Daniel Clark Nathan Pierce Benjamin Colman Nicholas Titcomb Oliver Putman Isaiah Ilsley John Ilsley Mrs. Moses Miss S.E. Small, (1620-1693) (1656-1727) (1698-1718) (1705-1764) (?-?) (1720-1797) (?-?) (1755-) (?-1828) (?-?) (Ilsley) Knight g-granddaughter innholder innholder joiner cordwainer shopkeeper Dudley Colman chocolate, blacksmith, joiner Stephen Ilsley, Jr. & of Isiah Ilsley, 1694 1739 (1745-1797) tallow chandlery, scythemaker Stephen Ilsley (1810-1851) Mrs. James sells property John March Enoch Noyes & tobacconist (1772-1832) c. 1880 (Ilsley) Small to SPNEA (1658-1712) (1717-1747) business Stephen Ilsley III (now Historic 1713 Moses Noyes (1837-?) New England). John March (1714-1754) (1690-?), saddler joiner

Become a Member of Historic New England! Regional Office: Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm regional preservation organization in the country. 5 Little’s Lane We’re a membership organization – not an exclusive club – so we Newbury, MA 01951 welcome you to join us in our efforts. (978) 462-2634 For membership categories & benefits, please visit our web site. Defining the past. Shaping the future. Interpretive materials by R.W. Bacon (6/2006) www.HistoricNewEngland.org ROCKY HILL MEETING HOUSE ~ 4 Old Portsmouth Road, Amesbury, Mass. ~ c. 1785 A Historic New England Study Property Private Heritage Tours available with advanced reservations June 1 - Oct. 15. Call 617-227-3956. (Also open on selected dates during the year.) Directions: Take I-95 to Rte. 110 west, Amesbury. From Rte. 110 turn right onto Elm St. towards downtown Amesbury. Look for Old Portsmouth Rd. 0.4 miles on the right.

The Rocky Hill Meeting House is the best Without the support of a large congregation, funds were never preserved example of an original 18th century meeting house interior available for alterations to the meeting house. Thus, the Rocky Hill in New England. It was built in 1785 for church services and town Meeting House has survived with its original fittings and finishes meetings, replacing a c. 1715 meeting house for the West Parish of intact. The pews have never been painted, while the marbleized pulpit Salisbury, Mass. (now part of Amesbury). It was located on the only and pillars supporting the galleries still boast their original paint. In road that crossed (via ferry) the Powow River, leading to Salisbury Pt. addition, the original 18th century hardware survives throughout the and Portsmouth, N.H. Today we owe the existence of the Rocky Hill building. Historic New England (formerly SPNEA) acquired the Meeting House to an accident of timing and location – a circumstance property in 1941 to ensure its preservation. that led to a decline in its use just a few decades after its construction. With the beginnings of industrialization around 1800, a new mill town arose on the banks of the Powow. The West Parish, trapped by Visitors want to know . . . geography between the mill town to the west and the fishermen and Who built this architectural marvel? The design and construction is credited to farmers to the east and south, found itself in difficult financial straits. Palmer & Spofford of Newburyport, but research is inconclusive as to whether The economic situation, coupled with new ideas about religion and “Palmer” was the celebrated long-span bridge builder Timothy Palmer. The build- architecture – and the construction of two new churches in the area – ing is notable for its 61' x 49' dimensions – with no supports in the expansive interior except for the columns that hold up the balcony. The 1785 construction led the meeting house congregation to steadily drift away. used material salvaged from the 1716 meeting house, such as the sill on east side. Why do the bench seat fold up? The bench seats folded up so people within the Side (East) Elevation Front (South) confines of the pews could all stand for prayer more comfortably. Because of this, Cross-Section: Elevation the meeting house was known to accommodate as many as 700 people. What were the folding shelves in some of the pews used for? In the early days, of Pulpit: church attendance was an all-day affair, and it is believed that many pew owners fashioned the folding shelves as a convenience for eating lunch. Was George Washington ever at the Rocky Hill Meeting House? George Washington passed through Amesbury on his way to Portsmouth, N.H. in 1789. Crowds gathered around the meeting house and parsonage to honor Washington at that time. Despite the graffiti “signature” in the stairway, it is unknown if Washington was ever inside the meeting house. 25.5' How did Historic New England acquire the building? The West Parish Society, a group of descendants of the original pew owners, was formed in the late 19th century to care for the meeting house. In 1941 the group transferred the deed to SPNEA (now Historic New England) for preservation – with the stipulation that 49.0' at least two services be held at the meeting house each year. A Rocky Hill Meeting House Time Line . . .

1640 1710 1716 1741-96 1780 1785 1785 1797-1801 1802-16 First meeting house Salisbury votes to build The first West Parish Rev. Freedom of religion Town votes to build new meeting house, First use of building: Rev. Rev. at Salisbury new meeting house & split Meeting House Samuel Webster granted by but disputes arise over location. Town meeting on Andrew Beattie William Balch town center. into two parishes with one tax. completed. (1718-1796) Mass. constitution. Original plan was for 35 pew owners. Dec, 7, 1785. (1767-1801) (1778-1842)

1816-35 1833 1835-71 1871 1886 c. 1890 1941 1965 Meeting house Church taxes abolished. Rev. Benjamin Sawyer Regular Rocky Hill The West Parish Society West Parish Society Historic New England acquires has no Churches now supported (1782-1871) church services becomes part of formed to maintain transfers building & land to 1718 parsonage and moves it from regular pastor. by voluntary subscription. 1400 marriages, 1100 funerals. ceased. Amesbury. the meeting house. Historic New England (SPNEA). path of Rte. 495 construction.

Become a Member of Historic New England! Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional preservation organization in the country. Regional Office: We’re a membership organization – not an exclusive club – so we Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm welcome you to join us in our efforts. 5 Little’s Lane For membership categories & benefits, please visit our web site. Newbury, MA 01951 Defining the past. Shaping the future. (978) 462-2634 www.HistoricNewEngland.org Before restoration. DOLE-LITTLE HOUSE At left is the Dole- Little House as it ~ 289 High Road, Newbury, Mass. ~ appeared before its 1955 restoration, c. 1715 when the 18th century double-hung Private Heritage Tours available with advanced reservations June 1 - Oct. 15. windows were Call 617-227-3956. (Also open on selected dates during the year.) replaced with leaded Directions: Take I-95 to Rte. 113, Newburyport. Rte. 113 turns into Rte. 1A (High Rd.) glass casements in Follow Rte. 1A for 6.0 miles. The Dole-Little House is on the left, the original window before the Parker River boat ramp & bridge. locations.

The Dole-Little House was built about 1715 for other changes had been added to many of the salvaged framing mem- Richard Dole, a cattleman, with materials salvaged from an earlier bers to allow them to conform to the plan of the house. structure. The house was built on a two-room, central-chimney plan During restoration, the lean-to was removed and reconstructed with with a small kitchen shed at the rear. This shed has since been re- new timbers, and small-paned sash from the front of the house was rein- placed with a larger lean-to. Decorative carpentry and finish include stalled in the lean-to. The paneling from one chamber was removed and chamfered edges, molded sheathing (especially in the great hall and reinstalled as an exhibition room at the National Museum of History parlor), and possibly original stair balusters. and Technology in Washington, D.C. A copied version was reinstalled Acquired by Florence Evans Bushee in 1954, the house was restored a in the chamber. The stair balusters, removed by Baker in 1955, are now year later to reflect the original period by restoration contractor Roy on display in the house. SPNEA, now known as Historic New England, Baker. Baker discovered that new mortise and tenon joints and various received the title to the house after Mrs. Bushee’s death in 1975. A Time Line of Ownership . . .

1715 17??-1803 1803-?? 18??-?? 18??-?? 18??-78 1878-190? 190?-1948 1948-51 1954-75 1975-Present Richard Dole, Jr. Daniel Dole Richard Dole William Dole Daniel Dole Nathaniel Dole Francis Little Harriet S. Little Eleanor (Dole) Florence Evans Bushee SPNEA/ (1650-1723) (1716-1803) (?-?) (?-?) (?-184?) (1842-189?) (1827-190?) (1856-?) Fillmore (1881-1975) Historic or Charlotte (Little) (1916-1951) 1955 New England his nephew Choate Restored by received title Richard Dole Inconclusive – conjecture only! (1865-?) Roy W. Baker upon the death of (1689-1778) (1905-1993) Florence Evans Bushee.

HISTORIC NEW ENGLAND STEWARDSHIP PROPERTIES Privately owned – NOT open for tours – but in partnership with the owners, permanetly protected by Historic New England.

The town of Newbury, Massachusetts exterior has undergone little alteration in nearly three hundred years. boasts two commons, the Upper and Lower Greens, each surrounded Pictured in numerous publications throughout the 20th century, the by historic structures. In each location, the settings have evolved over Short House is one of Newbury’s most familiar architectural icons. time as assorted vernacular buildings were placed in the landscape; SEDDON TAVERN (c. 1728), Lower Green, Newbury, Mass. today the historic ambience gives the community a sense of place. Several miles to the south, the Seddon Tavern (c. 1728) overlooks Through its Stewardship Program that began in 1948 and protects over Newbury’s Lower Green. In 1727 Samuel Seddon was given land at the 70 New England properties, Historic New England holds preservation corner of the Lower Green to construct “a house for the entertainment easements that protect the appearance and historic building elements of travelers.” The house also served as the point of contact for the ferry of two privately owned Newbury houses. Working with the owners, service over the Parker River. Not an original building but a meticulous Historic New England provides guidance and a discreet presence that reconstruction of the tavern destroyed by fire in 1940, it reflects a mid- promotes preservation within the community. While the Short House 20th century antiquarian understanding of 18th century architecture. and Seddon Tavern differ in age and design, the easements on help THE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM. A partnership between the prop- ensure that Newbury’s important community assets – the Upper and erty owner and Historic New England, the goal of the program is to pro- Lower Greens – remain unchanged for future generations of residents tect a property’s historic character. The tool used to accomplish this is and visitors to pass by and enjoy. the preservation restriction, a perpetual legal agreement recorded in local THE SHORT HOUSE (c. 1732), High Road at Rolfe’s Lane, land records. By releasing certain property rights, owners entrust Historic Newbury, Mass. The Short House, which anchors one corner of the New England to protect the property’s historic features from alteration, Upper Green, has long been admired for its unusual architectural fea- demolition, or neglect. Owners retain rights to sell, bequeath, lease, or tures: two brick end walls punctured with small gable-end casements mortgage the property. The provisions of each preservation restriction and a boldly carved pediment at the center entry. Although the inte- are tailored to meet preservation goals for the property, and include pro- rior was once divided into two halves to house different families, the tection for interior, exterior, landscape, and contextual features.