America is home to some truly historic houses. The oldest houses in America are First Period houses built in the 17th century and are great examples of early colonial architecture. These houses are also among some of the oldest buildings in America as well.
The following is a list of the oldest houses in America:
Fairbanks House (1637)
Located in Dedham, Ma, the Fairbanks House is considered the oldest surviving timber-frame house in North America.
The house was built in 1637 for Massachusetts Bay colonist Jonathan Fairbanks. It is a First Period wood-frame house with a gabled roof. The Fairbanks family lived in the house for eight generations until 1905 when it was turned into a historic house museum.
It was originally believed that the house was built in 1636 but a dendrochronology test on the hall summer beam (the main structural support beam) shows that the tree from which it was cut was felled in 1637.
The house was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 9, 1960 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
C. A. Nothnagle Log House (c. 1638-1643)
Located in Gibbstown, NJ, the C. A. Nothnagle Log House is considered one of the oldest log houses in America.
The cabin is believed to have been built by Finnish immigrant Benjamin Braman sometime between 1638 and 1643. It is 1,800 square feet in size and measures 16 feet by 22 feet.
It is a one-story, one-room cabin with an attic, a gable roof and it features an asymmetrical fireplace, which was typical of Scandinavian cabins from that time period, and was built out of logs made of locally sourced white oak.
The cabin was used as a residential home until 1918. On January 14, 1972, the cabin was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. On April 23, 1976, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Not only is the cabin one of the oldest houses in America, it is also one of the oldest buildings in America.
Henry Whitfield House (1639)
Located in Guilford, Connecticut, the Henry Whitfield House is the oldest stone house in New England and the oldest house in Connecticut.
The house was built a Puritan minister named Reverend Henry Whitfield who led a group of English settlers to establish the town of Guilford in the Connecticut Colony.
Built in 1639 out of granite, the house was one of the Connecticut colony’s four stone houses that functioned as defensive buildings and private homes.
The house features two-stories with thick battered stone walls and a steeply pitched wood-shingled gabled roof. The thick stone walls and fortified design were meant to provide protection from possible attacks by Native Americans.
In 1900, the house opened as a historic house museum owned and operated by the State of Connecticut. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 27, 1972 and was designated a National Historic Landmark on September 25, 1997.
Richard Sparrow House (1640)
Located in Plymouth, Mass, the Richard Sparrow House is the oldest surviving house in Plymouth. The house was built for colonist Richard Sparrow sometime around 1640 and is a two-story, wood-frame saltbox style house.
In 1930, the house was saved from demolition by its owner at the time and was restored by architect Charles Strickland. The house now serves as a historic house museum. The Richard Sparrow House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 9, 1974.
Lower Swedish Cabin (1640-1650)
Located in Drexel, Pennsylvania, the Lower Swedish Cabin is a Swedish-style log cabin and is considered one of the last cabins built by Swedish settlers that is still intact.
Not only is the house historic, it was also used as a set by Philadelphia film-maker Siegmund Lubin for several pre-1910 movies. The cabin served as a private residence until 1937. In 1941, it became the property of the township of Upper Darby.
The cabin was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1980. It was designated a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission on October 21, 1989.
A full restoration and archaeological excavation of the cabin was completed in 1989. The cabin is now cared for by the Friends of the Swedish Cabin who operate it as a historic house museum.
Wing Fort House (1641)
Located in Sandwich, Massachusetts, the Wing Fort House is the oldest house in the town of Sandwich. It is also considered the oldest home in New England continuously owned by the same family.
Tradition states that the house served as a fort to protect against Native American attacks. In 1646, the house was owned by Stephen Wing, one of the early settlers of Sandwich.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1976.
General Israel Putnam House (c. 1648)
Located in Danvers, Mass, the General Israel Putnam House is the birthplace of Revolutionary War General Israel Putnam.
The house is a 2 ½ story Colonial-style house with clapboard siding. It was built by General Putnam’s grandfather, Lieutenant Thomas Putnam, in 1648 and was occupied by the Putnam family for over three centuries and it has ties to many historic events in the area.
In 1692, the resident of the house, Joseph Putnam, spoke out against the Salem Witch Trials. In 1718, Israel Putnam was born in the house and later went on to fight in the Battle of Bunker Hill where he reportedly gave the famous order “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”
In 1991, the Putnam family donated the house to the Danvers Historical Society. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 30, 1976.
Wyckoff House (1652)
Located in Brooklyn, New York, the Wyckoff House is a historic Dutch farmhouse that is considered to be the oldest existing structure in New York State. The house is one of the oldest surviving examples of a Dutch frame house in America.
The Wyckoff family owned the house until 1901. The Wyckoff descendants established the Wyckoff House & Association in 1937 and re-purchased the house from its last private owner in 1961.
The house was designated a New York City landmark in 1965 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967. The Wyckoff House & Association donated the house to New York City in 1969.
Not only is the Wyckoff House one of the oldest houses in America it is located in one of the oldest towns in America.
Sources:
“Wyckoff House Museum.” Historic House Trust, historichousetrust.org/houses/wyckoff-house-museum/
“Historic Building Detail: DAN.51 Putnam, Gen. Israel House.” MACRIS, mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=DAN.51
“Joseph Putnam House / General Israel Putnam House.” Salem Witch Museum, salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/joseph-putnam-house-general-israel-putnam-house/
“Plan Your Visit.” The Wing Family of America, wingfamily.org/plan-your-visit
“Lower Swedish Cabin Historical Marker.” Explore PA History, explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-22
“Historic Building Detail: PLY.118 Sparrow, Richard House.” MACRIS, mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=ply.118
“The Henry Whitfield House.” Connecticut History, connecticuthistory.org/the-henry-whitfield-house/
“Resource Directory – Nothnagle Cabin.” Gloucester County NJ, gloucestercountynj.gov/businessdirectoryii.aspx?bid=432
Demasters, Karen. “ON THE MAP; This Old House Is Really Old.” New York Times, 23 April. 2000, nytimes.com/2000/04/23/nyregion/on-the-map-this-old-house-is-really-old.html
“The House.” Fairbanks House, fairbankshouse.org/about-history/the-house/
“Fairbanks House.” Building Conservation Associate, INC, bcausa.com/fairbanks-house