The Ephraim Potter House, a historic house and former pest house at 158 Fairhaven Road in

Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is n ...

, is also known as the Pest House, a name used in the 18th century to describe a building in which to

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...

those afflicted with

communicable disease An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...

s such as

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

, or

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

. The house was built before 1792 and added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1977, where it is listed at 153 Fairhaven Road. John Fitzgerald, the current owner of this old property, describes that it is his "dream is to keep it standing." The booklet, "Old Houses of Concord", by Mary R. Fenn contains the following information on the Ephraim Potter House:Old Houses of Concord, by Mary R. Fenn "Deacon Luke Potter, one of the first settlers, lived on the corner of Heywood Street and Lexington Road. His son Judah was the only one to perpetuate the family name before Judah's death in that house when it burned to the ground (June 20, 1721). Deacon Luke had acquired a large tract of land in the south quarter, in the vicinity of Fairhaven Road. At the time of the second division, houses were built on the property." "In 1752, Ephaim Potter married Sarah Taylor, which probably dates this house. Ephraim was one of the men who stored provincial supplies in his house prior to the Revolution - tents, tow cloth, canteens, etc." "At the time of the smallpox epidemic, vaccination was a newfangled idea; many people thought it was dangerous. When Ephraim's wife died of smallpox in 1792, it was thought to be important to engrave on her headstone that she had taken the disease in the natural way. She was buried in the small cemetery diagonally across from the house (across Route 2). Although hers is the only gravestone, it is thought that there are other graves there as well. The Potter House was used at this time as a hospital for those who were recovering from their vaccination treatment. Dr. Barrett was in the house one day when a traveler knocked on the door and asked if this were the hospital. "Yes," replied the doctor, "and I am one of the patients." "Elbridge Hayden bought the house in the early eighteen hundreds".

Historical Ownership of the House

Ownership records below with references were identified during a review of deeds at the Middlesex County Registry of Deeds. Ephraim Potter, builder ca. 1752. Darius Hubbard – sold the house to Elbridge Hayden for $1,000, “Potter Place” including “Potter Wood” 28 acres on July 18, 1846.Deed - Middlesex Registry of Deeds Elbridge Hayden sold the house to Laura J. Dwelley, July 31, 1894. Laura J. Dwelley to George F. Wheeler, April 25, 1908. Blanche E. Williams, Conservator of the Estate of George F. Wheeler to Leslie L. Keese, April 26, 1924. Leslie L. Keese to Davis et el., December 19, 1941. A.H. Elfner. Robert Venuati, 1971 John MacDonald. Ken Brown. John and Maria Fitzgerald, April 1994 to Present (1.5 acres).

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Houses completed in 1792 Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Concord, Massachusetts Quarantine facilities in the United States 1792 establishments in Massachusetts

Historical Ownership of the House

See also

References