Harnden Tavern
National Register of Historic Places

Harnden Tavern

Wilmington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
April 7, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
75000293

About this property

The Harnden Tavern, also known as the Col. Joshua Harnden Tavern, is a historic tavern that was built in 1770 at 430 Salem Street in Wilmington, Massachusetts. The Col. Joshua Harnden Tavern was built during the last third of the eighteenth century in the town of Wilmington, Massachusetts. The site is on Lot No. One in the "Land of Nod," in the most northerly part of the Charlestown Grant. This imposing structure is an excellent surviving example of late-Georgian architecture. Joshua Harnden was the great-grandson of Richard Harnden, the first Englishman to settle in what is now North Wilmington. Joshua and his wife Sarah (Cornell) and their six children were the first family to occupy this house. During the Revolutionary War, Joshua served in Capt. Timothy Walker's Militia Co. Later he attained the rank of colonel shortly before his retirement. Joshua was elected to serve the Town of Wilmington as one of its three selectmen. After the Revolutionary War, he opened his home to the public as an inn or tavern. Col. Harnden died on September 9, 1807. His wife died on August 9, 1816. The property was sold to Dr. Silas Brown in 1818. It remained in the Brown - Hathaway family for 125 years. There is credible tradition that the tavern was used as a station on the Underground Railroad prior to the Civil War. The building was taken by the town by eminent domain in 1973, and presently houses the Wilmington Town Museum. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Location

430 Salem St.
Wilmington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.57948, -71.14740

Categories

HEALTH/MEDICINEARCHITECTURE
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.

Nearby Battles

Andover Raid (King Philip's War)
1676Colonial
5.5 mi
Raid on Andover (MA, 1698)
1698Colonial
5.5 mi
Raid on Billerica MA 1695
1695Colonial
6.3 mi
King Philip's War – Raid on Woburn MA 1676
1676Colonial
6.4 mi
Battle of Lancaster (King Philip's War)
1676Colonial
8.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Harnden Tavern listed on the National Register?

Harnden Tavern was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 7, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Harnden Tavern?

Harnden Tavern is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Harnden Tavern?

The period of significance for Harnden Tavern is recorded as the Colonial era, specifically around 1770.

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