When pulling up to the Dole-Little House, its easy to see why the location for the home was chosen – this saltbox has a picturesque view of the Parker River and is on a main thoroughfare through the beautiful town of Newbury, Ma. Newbury was incorporated in 1635, not long before the building of the…
Rocky Hill Meeting House: A Home to Church Service, Town Meetings & 18th Century Graffiti
Since I was a senior in high school, my family has been spending one week of the wonderful New England summer at Salisbury Beach – a tradition that continues to this day; and while guest lists, pets and the length of stay between my brother, my mom and dad have changed, it’s a week that I look…
The Hammond Castle: A Quirky Inventors Home on the Gloucester Sea Shore
I think it may have been fate for me to visit The Hammond Castle in Gloucester, Ma. A few weeks a go, I sat down to try to plan out my upcoming weekends in my quest to visit all Historic New England homes, and saw that the Beauport Sleeper McCann home opened Memorial Day Weekend –…
The Dexter Hemenway House: 1820’s Home in Framigham, MA
Usually one of my first questions I have while touring a home is “when was the last time someone lived here?”. Although I don’t live in a historic home myself, I love the idea of occupying a space where everyday life has taken place for hundreds of years, and the Dexter Hemenway House in Framingham…
The Boardman House: A 327 Year Old Resident of Boston, Lynn, Chelsea & Saugus
I’ll admit it – my favorite homes so far in this journey have been the ones that have detailed trim work, bedrooms for their live-in staff, grand staircases that still stand today as testament to the wealth that once occupied the home. However, as this project continues, I’m learning about other styles and time periods…
The Phillips House: Chestnut Street Mansion in Salem, Ma
For many, images of witches and Halloween are the first things to come to mind when Salem, Massachusetts is brought up and I can’t say I’m any different – with the addition of the adorable house from one of my favorite fall movies, Hocus Pocus. And while the history of the Salem Witch trials and overall…
Sarah Orne Jewett House: Female American Novelist in Southern Maine
I took advantage of a sunny Saturday in March, and visited my fifth out of thirty-seven Historic New England homes – still so many to visit! I had zero knowledge of Sarah Orne Jewett prior to my visit – I usually try to read up a little bit on the home beforhand, but ran out…
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Venetian Mansion in the Heart of Boston
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has been on my list of places to visit in Boston for years, but until now I had never been. I am lucky to have supportive friends & family that are interested in visiting these places with me, and this blog is a good excuse to do so. I can’t…
The Lyman Estate: 1793 Boston Suburb Country Estate
In 1793, Theodore Lyman, a wealthy ship merchant who lived in Boston’s elite Beacon Hill neighborhood, wanted to build a country estate that his family could escape to in the summer. He wanted to ensure the family could travel back and forth between the homes easily and all within one day, so he started to…
The Lyman Estate: Greenhouse & Grounds
The late fall & winter have put a damper on my quest to visit all thirty-eight properties owned by Historic New England in a one year time frame, as many of the homes close in October and don’t open again until the spring. So, I’ve been stalking their website to plan out when specific homes…
