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The Faulkner House is the oldest colonial-era structure still standing in
Acton, Massachusetts Acton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, approximately west-northwest of Boston along Massachusetts Route 2 west of Concord and about southwest of Lowell. The population was 24,021 in April 2020, according to the Uni ...
. The Faulkner House was purchased in 1964 by 'Iron Work Farm in Acton, Inc.', a Massachusetts non-profit corporation with a charter "to acquire and preserve the tangible landmarks of the area historically known as Iron Work Farm", now part of Acton. The Faulkner House is now being preserved under its stewardship.


History

The Faulkner house was originally built for Ephraim Jones (1679–1710), the founder in 1702 of an early textile business and other mills that formed the nucleus of the present town of Acton. Being the largest and most central house of this settlement, it served as the local garrison house for protection during Indian raids made along the Massachusetts frontier during
Queen Anne's War Queen Anne's War (1702–1713) was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought in North America involving the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, and Spain; it took place during the reign of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. In E ...
(1702–1713).Homestead history
/ref> Ammi Ruhamah Faulkner rented the house and mills in 1738, then purchased them in 1742. For 202 years, the Faulkner House was the homestead for six generations of the Faulkner family. The family carried on the processing of woolen cloth at the fulling mill across the road from the house; the mill was said to have been one of the earliest attempts in the United States to manufacture woolen cloth on a large scale.


American Revolution

The Faulkner homestead served as a garrison for the South Acton Militia during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...
. As
Paul Revere Paul Revere (; December 21, 1734 O.S. (January 1, 1735 N.S.)May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, engraver, early industrialist, Sons of Liberty member, and Patriot and Founding Father. He is best known for his midnight ride to al ...
rode to raise alarm on April 18, 1775, he found that he would need more riders to continue the message. In Lexington, Revere found, and enlisted the help of, Dr. Samuel Prescott. Dr. Prescott was sent to
Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...
, and then to Acton. Prescott, after informing Captain Joseph Robbins, Isaac Davis, and Deacon Simon Hunt of the news, went to South Acton and then to the Faulkner house. Upon receiving the news, Major Francis Faulkner fired off three shots, the signal alarm, and soon the militia of Acton had assembled at the house. From Acton, a man named Edward Bancroft carried the message on towards Groton and Pepperell. The Faulkner House and
Jones Tavern Jones Tavern is a historic tavern at 128 Main Street in Acton, Massachusetts. History The main part of the tavern was built in 1732 as a home for Samuel Jones, Jr. and his family. By 1750, the home had been expanded to become a tavern and ge ...
are two historic properties in South Acton that are owned by Iron Work Farm in Acton, Inc., a non-profit, historical Massachusetts corporation with a charter to study the documents and preserve the tangible landmarks connected with the village of outhActon.
Exchange Hall The Exchange Hall is a historic Italianate style hall on Quimby Square, at the intersection of Main and School Streets in the village of South Acton, in Acton, Massachusetts. The -story wood-frame building was built in 1860 by James Tuttle, who ...
is another historic property in South Acton that is in close proximity to both Jones Tavern and the Faulkner House.


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, Massachusetts This is a listing of places in Middlesex County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. With more than 1,300 listings, the county has more listings than any other county in the United Sta ...


References


External links


Iron Work Farm
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Historic house museums in Massachusetts Museums in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Houses completed in 1700 Buildings and structures in Acton, Massachusetts 1700 establishments in Massachusetts