The Col. Benjamin Simonds House is a historic house at 643 Simonds Road in
Williamstown, Massachusetts. The colonial style wood-frame house was built in 1770 by
Benjamin Simonds Benjamin Simonds (12 February 1725/6-11 April 1807) was a militia commander of Massachusetts during the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. He was colonel of the all-Berkshire regiment of about five hundred men known as the ...
, a veteran of the
French and Indian Wars, who was one of Williamstown's early settlers.
The house was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1983,
and now houses a bed and breakfast.
Description and history
The Benjamin Simonds House is located about north of the center of Williamstown, on the west side of Simonds Road (
United States Route 7) just north of its crossing of the
Hoosic River. It is a -story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof, central chimney, and clapboarded exterior. Its main facade is five bays wide, with a modestly styled central entrance flanked by pilasters. The interior retains a great deal of original period woodwork, including builtin cabinetry, fireplace mantels, and crown moulding.
Benjamin Simonds was a native of
Connecticut who first came to the area that is now Williamstown as a militia soldier stationed at
Fort Massachusetts in the 1740s, during
King George's War
King George's War (1744–1748) is the name given to the military operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in t ...
. He first bought land in the area in 1749, eventually moving to this area, where he built this house in 1769. He operated a tavern in the town, and was a leading force in the incorporation of Williamstown in 1765, and the founding of
Williams College in 1790. He was also active militarily in the
American Revolutionary War, where he led a regiment of militia in the
Battle of Bennington and other engagements.
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See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
References
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Houses completed in 1770