Fairbanks House
National Historic Landmark

Fairbanks House

Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Building
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
66000367

About this property

The Fairbanks House in Dedham, Massachusetts is a historic house built around 1641, making it the oldest surviving timber-frame house in North America that has been verified by dendrochronology testing. Puritan settler Jonathan Fairbanks constructed the farm house for his wife Grace (née Smith) and their family. It was occupied and passed down through eight generations of the family until the early 20th century. The original portion was expanded over several centuries, as architectural styles changed and the family grew. Today the Fairbanks house is operated as a historic house museum by the Fairbanks Family in America, a member-based non-profit organization. The Family Association has preserved, studied, and interpreted their ancestral home and its collections for over 110 years. The house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Location

Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
42.24319, -71.16796

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Endicott Estate
Industrial
0.3 mi
Ames Schoolhouse
Industrial
0.4 mi
Norfolk County Courthouse
Industrial
0.6 mi
Dedham Village Historic District
Colonial
0.8 mi
Fairview Cemetery (Additional Documentation)
Industrial
1.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Roxbury Lines
1775Revolutionary War
7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fairbanks House listed on the National Register?

Fairbanks House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Fairbanks House?

Fairbanks House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Fairbanks House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Fairbanks House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Fairbanks House?

The period of significance for Fairbanks House is recorded as the colonial era, specifically around 1641.

Can I research the history near Fairbanks House?

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