Day house, built in 1734, West Springfield, Mass (70241)

The Josiah Day House is a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...

at 70 Park Street in West Springfield,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. Built about 1754, it is believed to be the oldest known brick

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 ...

style house in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. 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 ...

in 1975. It is owned by the local historical society, and is occasionally open for guided tours.

Description

The Josiah Day House stands on the north side of Park Street ( United States Route 20), a busy parkway divided by the town common, not far from the Connecticut River. It is a -story brick building, set facing south toward the common. It has a side gable roof, which extends down to the first floor in the rear, giving the house its saltbox profile. A large chimney rises at the center of the house. The main facade is three bays wide, with the entry at the center. A single-story wood-frame ell extends to the rear of the house. The interior follows a typical Georgian central chimney plan, with parlors on either side of the chimney, and a large kitchen space behind it, with small chambers in the rear corners.

History

Josiah Day bought the land at the current site of the house in 1746. By 1754, the house had been built and became the home of Josiah and his family. The house was passed down from generation to generation until the last of the Day House residents, Lydia Day, died in 1902. At that time, the remaining Day family members sold the house to the Ramapogue Historical Society. While the main part of the house has remained in its original state, an addition was added to the back of the house in 1812, to accommodate Aaron Day II, the grandson of Josiah, and son of Aaron I. Aaron II and his family moved in with his parents and utilized the new wing. Once the house was purchased by the Ramapogue Historical Society in 1903, it was preserved in its original state. Tours of the house are held on special town days or holidays. All artifacts in the house are time period appropriate, and include original Day family items, such as the high boy, writing desk, and other furnishings. The house was listed on the

in 1975. It is the oldest brick building in Hampden County.

References

External links

Josiah Day House Museum
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Historic house museums in Massachusetts Saltbox architecture in Massachusetts Museums in Hampden County, Massachusetts Houses in Hampden County, Massachusetts Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Hampden County, Massachusetts Houses completed in 1754

Description

History

See also

References

External links