National Register of Historic Places

Briggs, George I., House

Bourne, Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Listed
September 9, 1981
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
81000119

About this property

The George I. Briggs House, locally referred to as the Briggs-McDermott House, is located along Sandwich Road in Bourne, Massachusetts, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, and currently serves as historic house museum operated by the Bourne Society for Historic Preservation. Originally built around 1802 by Josephus Keene, the house was significantly expanded and renovated in the Greek Revival style in the 1830s by Briggs, who married Keene's granddaughter Thirza. He was later instrumental in the creation of the town of Bourne from Sandwich in 1884, serving as one of the new town's selectmen. Later he would serve on the school and library commissions, and chairman of the Barnstable County Commission. He was a friend of U.S. President Grover Cleveland, who sometimes vacationed in the area . The shop of a local blacksmith who shod Cleveland's horses has been moved to the house property as well. The interior of the house has an 1890 ceiling mural painted by local artist Charles Raleigh. After his death, it passed to Mercy Briggs McDermott and her husband William. They later sold it to the school district. In the 1970s the town worked to restore it, and in 1998 moved the blacksmith shop to the grounds. National Register of Historic Places listings in Barnstable County, Massachusetts

Location

Bourne, Barnstable County, Massachusetts
41.74200, -70.59697

Categories

ARTPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Bourne, Jonathan, Public Library
Industrial
0.1 mi
Bourne High School
Industrial
0.2 mi
Bourne Town Hall
Industrial
0.6 mi
Bournedale Village School
Industrial
3 mi
WITCH (catboat)
Industrial
3.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Briggs, George I., House listed on the National Register?

Briggs, George I., House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 9, 1981.

What type of historic resource is Briggs, George I., House?

Briggs, George I., House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Briggs, George I., House?

The period of significance for Briggs, George I., House is recorded as the industrial era.

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