The John Boardman House is a historic
First Period
First Period is an American architecture style in the time period between approximately 1626 and 1725, used by British colonists during the earliest English settlements in United States, particularly in Massachusetts and Virginia and later in ...
house in
Boxford, Massachusetts
Boxford is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town's population was 8,203 in 2020.
The original town center of Boxford, along with East Boxford and other areas in the eastern part of t ...
. Its oldest portion dates to about 1740, but has stylistically older elements. It was moved to its current location from
Saugus in 1956, before which it had undergone restoration. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1990.
Description and history
The John Boardman House stands in a rural residential area, on the south side of Lawrence Road, a through street connecting Boxford center to the east and
North Andover
North Andover is an affluent town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 30,915.
History
Native Americans inhabited what is now northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to European c ...
to the west. It is set at a distance from the road on of land, and faces Fish Brook, a tributary of the
Ipswich River
Ipswich River is a small river in northeastern Massachusetts, United States. It held significant importance in early colonial migrations inland from the ocean port of Ipswich. The river provided safe harborage at offshore Plum Island Sound to ea ...
. It is a -story timber-framed structure, with a side gable roof, central chimney, and clapboarded exterior. It has a four-bay front facade, with the entrance in the center-right bay. The roof on the rear of the house (facing the street) extends down to the first floor, giving the house a classic Colonial period
saltbox
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 ...
profile. The oldest features of the house are visible in its right-side rooms. The ground floor parlor has exposed timber framing, with an unchamfered summer beam, and a fireplace wall with feathered panels. The chamber above that room also has exposed framing. The entry staircase is a typical late First Period winding stair with a turned newel post.
The oldest portion of the house, its right side, was built sometime between 1740 and 1760, based on stylistic analysis. Originally located in
Saugus it is unusual for the types of First Period details present despite its comparatively late date of construction for that period. The house bears some resemblance to
the house of John Boardman's grandfather, William (now a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
), which still stands in Saugus. When first built, it was a double cell plan central chimney structure; the leanto section in the back is estimated to have been added c. 1800. While still located in Saugus, the building underwent a restoration by Earl Newton with the assistance of
Abbott Lowell Cummings
Abbott Lowell Cummings (March 14, 1923 – May 29, 2017) was a noted architectural historian and genealogist, best known for his study of New England architecture.
Life and career
Cummings was born in St. Albans, Vermont, educated at the Hoosa ...
. It was moved to its present location in 1956.
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See also
*
*List of the oldest buildings in Massachusetts
This article lists the oldest buildings in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States of America, including the oldest houses in Massachusetts and any other surviving structures. Some dates are approximate (indicated with a "") and b ...
References
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Houses in Boxford, Massachusetts
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Essex County, Massachusetts