The Jackson Homestead, located at 527 Washington Street, in the village of

Newton Corner Newton Corner is one of the thirteen villages within the city of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Newton Corner borders Brighton, a neighborhood of Boston, as well as the city of Watertown, Massachusetts. Newton Corne ...

, in

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Ne ...

, is an historic house that served as a station on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

before the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. It was built in 1809 in the

Federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

style by Timothy Jackson (1756–1814) on his family's farm. His son William Jackson (1783–1855) lived in it from 1820 until his death. William Jackson was an

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

and was active in politics on the local, state and national levels and served in the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

from 1833 to 1837. The home was occupied by his family until 1932 when it was rented out. In 1949 it was given to the city of Newton and in 1950 the Newton History Museum was established there.

History

In 1646, Edward Jackson bought a 500-acre farm which covered much of

and Newtonville. In about 1670, he built a house on the side of east side of Smelt Brook, on the site of the present Homestead. The south-facing house was a

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 ...

: two stories in front and one at the back, originally 22 by 18 feet. There were two kitchens and a bedroom on the lower floor, two chambers on the second, and two further bedrooms in the attic. The house, which was never painted, either inside or out, took water from a well sheltered by a large elm tree. 17 feet were added to the house either by Edward's son Sebas or, later, by his grandson, Joseph. As was not uncommon, there were always two generations living in the house, and the addition was probably to provide for a second family. In 1809, Major Timothy Jackson decided to replace the old homestead with "a fine house for the (modern) times". He designed and helped build a large, two-family house, hoping that his youngest son, Edmund, would possibly move into it if he married. The house was a great improvement on the original, featuring such improvements as an inside well, a laundry, storeroom and

ell An ell (from Proto-Germanic *''alinō'', cognate with Latin ''ulna'') is a northwestern European unit of measurement, originally understood as a cubit (the combined length of the forearm and extended hand). The word literally means "arm", and ...

, magnificent fireplaces with huge mantelpieces, a great staircase and airy, small private bedchambers on the second floor, with a large, useful

garret A garret is a habitable attic, a living space at the top of a house or larger residential building, traditionally, small, dismal, and cramped, with sloping ceilings. In the days before elevators this was the least prestigious position in a bu ...

t extending on top of the entire house. Timothy Jackson had built what is now known today as the Jackson Homestead. After Timothy Jr's death, his estate was divided among his sons. William Jackson struck deals with his brothers, buying the shares from Edmund and George, and made a "division" with

Francis Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places * Rural M ...

and Stephen, according to which they took the land to the south of Washington street and he received the homestead and everything to the north. Adjustments were made to the house, most notably the creation and splitting of bedrooms, to accommodate the large family, the house was painted yellow with the same cream trim and green shutters the Homestead has today, and central heating would eventually be installed in the 1830s. By the 1900s, the Jackson Homestead began using municipal water rather from their indoor well. Under the direction of Louise Keith, William's granddaughter, major renovations were carried out. Modern plumbing was installed in the bathroom and kitchen, all of which were connected to the city sewers. Wooden ceiling beams were reinforced with iron braces and seventy-six new panels of glass were installed. The interior of the house was repainted, and the exterior of the house was painted white for the first time. In 1949, Frances (Hatch) Paine, gave the homestead to the City of Newton for educational, recreational, and other public purposes. The Homestead became the CIty Museum, and a number of changes have been made, most notably the remodelling of the ell in 1966.

Current Status

Today, the Jackson Homestead has transitioned into a museum known as the Jackson Homestead and Museum. It is operated by Historic Newton, whose mission is to "inspire discovery and engagement by illuminating our community's stories within the context of American history". The Jackson Homestead and Museum displays rotating and permanent exhibits about the history of Newton, Massachusetts, and the Underground Railroad. The Homestead is also home to the archives of Historic Newton. On June 4, 1973, the Jackson Homestead was added to 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 ...

References

External links

Aboard the Underground Railroad: Jackson Homestead

Jackson Homestead and Museum Visitor Page

Historic Newton Homepage
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Newton, Massachusetts African-American history of Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Newton, Massachusetts Houses on the Underground Railroad Museums in Middlesex County, Massachusetts History museums in Massachusetts Historic house museums in Massachusetts Federal architecture in Massachusetts Houses completed in 1809

History

Current Status

See also

References

External links