The Hoxie House (c. 1675) is a

saltbox house A saltbox house is a gable-roofed residential structure that is typically two stories in the front and one in the rear. It is a traditional New England style of home, originally timber framed, which takes its name from its resemblance to a woode ...

located in

Sandwich, Massachusetts Sandwich is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, and is the oldest town on Cape Cod. The town motto is ''Post tot Naufracia Portus'', "after so many shipwrecks, a haven". The population was 20,259 at the 2020 census. History Cape Cod wa ...

. According to the Massachusetts Historical Commission, it's likely the oldest extant house "in the area". The residence was owned by both the Smith and Hoxie families before being turned over to the town of Sandwich in 1959. During this time the house was restored, and it now operates as a museum.

History

The saltbox house was built in the mid-seventeenth century and occupied around 1675 by reverend John Smith. Smith served as pastor of the

Separatist Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seeking greate ...

First Church of Sandwich from 1673 until 1689. He also served as a representative to the legislature, and recommended tolerance of the

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

. Smith's descendants owned and occupied the house until 1856, when school teacher Bethia Smith passed away. The house was subsequently acquired by a retired whaling captain named Abraham Hoxie in the 1850s or by 1860. Hoxie died in 1887, and his decendants continued to live in the house. It wasn't until the early 1950s that modern amenities such as electricity, plumbing and central heat were added. In 1957, the town of Sandwich took possession of the house after the Hoxie family failed to pay owed property taxes. The "deteriorated" house was extensively restored in 1959 which retained most of the original structural members, however the fireplaces and chimneys had to be rebuilt. As it stands presently, the Hoxie House is a 2.5-story half house with an integral rear lean-to. There is also a small, 1-story ell on the west side. Fresh cedar shakes were added to the residence in 2008 after the town spent $50,000 in community preservation funds. In 2011, the name Smith-Hoxie House was floated as a name change to honor the original builder, but nothing was followed up on. The town of Sandwich operates the house as a museum yearly for visitors.

Gallery

File:Oldest house on Cape Cod, Sandwich, Mass (76270).jpg, Undated post card of the Hoxie House File:EAST END - Hoxie House, State Route 130, Sandwich, Barnstable County, MA HABS MASS,1-SAND,1-2.tif, Hoxie House (front view) - 1959 restoration File:VIEW FROM THE NORTHEAST - Hoxie House, State Route 130, Sandwich, Barnstable County, MA HABS MASS,1-SAND,1-1.tif, Hoxie House (back view) - 1959 restoration File:Hoxie House, Sandwich, Massachusetts.jpg, Side view of the Hoxie House (2011)

References

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External links

Article about Hoxie House
Houses completed in 1675 Historic house museums in Massachusetts Saltbox architecture in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Sandwich, Massachusetts Museums in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Houses in Barnstable County, Massachusetts 1675 establishments in Massachusetts

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links