Colonel John Ashley House

Col. John Ashley House
Nearest city Sheffield, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°3′34″N 73°21′23″W / 42.05944°N 73.35639°WCoordinates: 42°3′34″N 73°21′23″W / 42.05944°N 73.35639°W
Area 4.9 acres (2.0 ha)
Built 1735
Governing body Private
NRHP Reference # 75001915[1]
Added to NRHP February 10, 1975

The Colonel John Ashley House is a historic house museum located on Cooper Hill Road, Sheffield, Massachusetts. It is operated by The Trustees of Reservations. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

In 1773 the Sheffield Declaration, a petition against British tyranny and manifesto for individual rights, was drafted in the upstairs study of the house. Less than a decade later, the Ashleys' slave, Elizabeth "Mum Bett" Freeman won her freedom under the new state constitution through a celebrated 1781 Massachusetts state court battle. The case helped to end slavery in Massachusetts.

The house is typical of early 18th century rural American architecture, with furnishings and items dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries.. The house is open for tours on weekends from Memorial Day through Columbus Day.[2]

Gallery

See also

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
  2. "Colonel John Ashley House". The Trustees of Reservations. Retrieved 2013-11-28.