National Register of Historic Places

Back River Farm

Dover, Strafford County, New Hampshire
Listed
June 21, 1984
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
84003236

About this property

The Back River Farm, also known as the Samuel Emerson Farm, is a historic farmstead on Bay View Road in Dover, New Hampshire. The land along the Bellamy River (also known as the Back River) has been farmed since Samuel Emerson acquired 30 acres (12 ha) in the area in 1696, and is the only surviving period farmstead in the area. The farm, including a mid-18th century farmhouse, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The Back River Farm consists of about 44 acres (18 ha) of land, roughly bounded by Bay View Road to the north, Bellamy Preserve to the east, and an inlet of the Bellamy River to the south. Most of this land is relatively flat, and in pasture. The farmstead stands on the south side of Bay View Road, screened from the road by trees, but with open views to the south. The house is a two-story timber frame construction, five bays wide, with a central chimney and a rear leanto section, giving the house a saltbox appearance. The house has interior woodworking features that embody both First Period work and early Georgian styling. This woodwork was probably done by the second Samuel Emerson, who described his profession as that of joiner. In 1696 the first Samuel Emerson acquired 30 acres (12 ha) of land, and began farming. The area was in the 18th century mainly composed of this type of salt water farm, of which this is now the last surviving example. Emerson was brother to Hannah Duston, who became well known for her captivity narrative after being held captive by (and escaping from) Native Americans in 1697. The farm was owned by five generations of Emersons, growing to a size of 130 acres (53 ha). It was sold out of the family in 1876. National Register of Historic Places listings in Strafford County, New Hampshire

Location

Dover, Strafford County, New Hampshire
43.14013, -70.85427

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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Nearby Historic Sites

First Parish Church Site-Dover Point
Listed
0.8 mi
Newington Railroad Depot
Industrial
2.3 mi
Sawyer Woolen Mills
Listed
2.9 mi
Newington Center Historic District
Listed
3 mi
First Parish Church
Industrial
3.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Raid on Oyster River (NH, 1694)
1694Colonial
1.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Back River Farm listed on the National Register?

Back River Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 1984.

What type of historic resource is Back River Farm?

Back River Farm is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Back River Farm?

The period of significance for Back River Farm is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Back River Farm?

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