Parson Capen House
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The Parson Capen House is an historic house in Topsfield, Massachusetts, built in 1683. It has drawn attention as an example of early colonial architecture and because of its well-preserved condition by comparison with other contemporaneous houses.


History

The Capen house was built on a lot in 1683 as the
parsonage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, pa ...
for the local
Congregational Church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...
. It is located at what is now 1 Howlett Street, next to the Topsfield Common. It was first owned by the Reverend Joseph Capen, who had moved to Topsfield from Dorchester. His wife had seen the previous parsonage and was disappointed by its condition. The family lived there for over forty years. At the time that it was built, it was considered to be the best house in the town. The house was declared a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
in 1960.Patricia Heintzelman and Charles Snell (1975) , National Park Service and It is one of the best preserved homes from its period in
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
. The Topsfield Historical Society currently operates it as a
historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that is preserved as 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 variety of ...
.


Architecture

The Capen house was built with English style architecture, and it bears a strong resemblance to many houses in England. The house features overhangs called
jetties A jetty is a man-made structure that protrudes from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signif ...
at the front and sides, but not the rear, of the building. Although many have assumed that the overhangs were intended as protection from Native Americans, they were primarily decorative and also served to shield people from rain. The house has a small entrance hallway leading to the staircase. It contains four rooms, each of which contains a fireplace. It has exposed low ceilings with wooden beams. Hanging wood pendills, ornaments that were carved by the carpenter who built the house, were also used as decoration.


See also

* List of historic houses in Massachusetts *
List of the oldest buildings in Massachusetts This article lists the oldest buildings in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States of America, including the oldest houses in Massachusetts and any other surviving structures. Some dates are approximate (indicated with a "") and b ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts This list is of that portion of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) designated in Essex County, Massachusetts, Essex County, Massachusetts. The locations of these properties and districts for which the latitude and longitude coordin ...
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a total of 192 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) within its borders. This is the second highest statewide total in the United States after New York, which has more than 250. Of the Massachusetts NHLs, 5 ...


References


Bibliography

*


External links


Topsfield Historical Society


{{Authority control Houses completed in 1694 Historic house museums in Massachusetts National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts Museums in Essex County, Massachusetts Houses in Topsfield, Massachusetts Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Essex County, Massachusetts 1694 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay Historic district contributing properties in Massachusetts