Josiah Day House

Josiah Day House
Josiah Day House, West Springfield, Massachusetts
Location West Springfield, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°6′24.87″N 72°37′7.51″W / 42.1069083°N 72.6187528°WCoordinates: 42°6′24.87″N 72°37′7.51″W / 42.1069083°N 72.6187528°W
Built ca. 1754
Governing body Private
NRHP Reference # 75000265[1]
Added to NRHP April 16, 1975

The Josiah Day House is the oldest known brick salt-box style home in the United States. It is located at 70 Park Street in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

History

Josiah Day bought the land at the current site of the house in 1746. By 1754, the house had been built and became the home of Josiah and his family. The house was passed down from generation to generation until the last of the Day House residents, Lydia Day, died in 1902. At that time, the remaining Day family members sold the house to the Ramapogue Historical Society.[2]

While the main part of the house has remained in its original state, an addition was added to the back of the house in 1812, to accommodate Aaron Day II, the grandson of Josiah, and son of Aaron I. Aaron II and his family moved in with his parents and utilized the new quarters.

Once the house was purchased by the Ramapogue Historical Society in 1903, it was preserved in its original state, and has become a treasure for the Town of West Springfield. Tours of the house are held on special town days or holidays. All artifacts in the house are time period appropriate, and include many original Day family items including the "High Boy", "Writing Desk", "Bed Room Furniture", and "Tables".[2]

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2006-03-15.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Brief History of the Day House". Hampden County Historical Society. Retrieved 2013-12-08.

External links