National Register of Historic Places

Dewey, Joseph, House

Westfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts
Listed
July 26, 2001
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
01000746

About this property

The Joseph Dewey House is a historic house museum at 87 South Maple Street in Westfield, Massachusetts. Built about 1735, it is one of the city's few surviving pre-Revolutionary buildings. It is now maintained as a museum property by the local historical society. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The Joseph Dewey House is located south of downtown Westfield, on the west side of South Maple Street (United States Route 202). It is a wood-frame structure, 2+1⁄2 stories in height, with a gable roof, central chimney, and clapboarded exterior. Its main facade is three bays wide, with a center entrance flanked by pilasters set on tall paneled blocks, and topped by a frieze and gabled pediment. The flanking first-floor windows are also topped by gabled lintels. The house was built in about 1735 for Joseph Dewey, whose family had been living in the Westfield area since the mid-17th century. Dewey was a local farmer who was also involved in local politics. His grandson Benjamin bought the house later in the 18th century, and added a gristmill and sawmill to his property. He enlarged the house and added Federal style details. The house remained in the Dewey family until 1847. The property then went through a succession of owners, including a several-year period in which a Dewey descendant owned it. The mills were sold off, and redeveloped by the papermaker Crane & Co. In 1873 the property was purchased by Emma Jane Turner, and it remained in her family for about 100 years. In the 1970s, under threat of demolition, it was acquired by the West Hampden Historical Society, moved to its present location, and carefully restored to its early colonial state. It is now operated by the society as a house museum. National Register of Historic Places listings in Hampden County, Massachusetts

Location

87 S. Maple St.
Westfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts
42.11184, -72.76312

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORYEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT
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

Westfield Municipal Building
Industrial
0.8 mi
Octagon House
Industrial
0.8 mi
State Normal Training School
Industrial
0.9 mi
United States Whip Company Complex
Industrial
1 mi
Van Deusen, H. M., Whip Company
Industrial
1 mi

Nearby Battles

Attack on Springfield
1675Colonial
8.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Dewey, Joseph, House listed on the National Register?

Dewey, Joseph, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 26, 2001.

What type of historic resource is Dewey, Joseph, House?

Dewey, Joseph, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Dewey, Joseph, House?

The period of significance for Dewey, Joseph, House is recorded as the industrial era.

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