Boardman House, c. 1687
A National Historic Landmark
17 Howard Street
Saugus, Mass.
Directions
Open 11am - 3pm on : Saturday, June 7
Saturday, July 5
Saturday, August 2
Saturday, September 6
Saturday, October 4
Admission : Free on June 7 ; $5 other dates ; Free to Historic New England members.
Private Heritage Tours available with advanced reservations.
Please call 617-227-3956, June 1 through October 15.
Built c. 1687 for the young family of William Boardman, a local
joiner, this house has survived remarkably intact since its
construction. Originally built on a two-room, central-chimney plan,
the house consisted of a parlor, hall, two chambers above, and an
attic below a steeply pitched and gabled roof.
The house's massive timber framing was accented on the interior by
chamfer and stop chamfer decoration.While much of its framing
descended from medieval English building traditions, the innovative
roof system was developed by New England carpenters as a suitable
support for the light roof coverings of boards and wood shingles.
By 1696, a rear lean-to was added, accommodating a new kitchen,
milkroom and kitchen chamber. This service addition freed the hall
from its former use as the family's cooking, eating and gathering
room and provided the family with another best room to complement the
parlor, thus augmenting the house's socially acceptable space.
With this addition, the house attained its present size and
interior arrangement. Later alterations included replacing the
original leaded glass windows with double hung sash, installing a c.
1725 staircase, removing two gables from the front slope of the roof,
and decreasing the size of the fireboxes.
SPNEA, now known as Historic New England, acquired the Boardman House in 1914 and undertook its
restoration under William Sumner Appleton's direction. Appleton
restored the fireboxes to their original dimensions and removed
wallpapers from many surfaces and partitions that had been installed
upstairs, revealing early decorative finishes, including 17th century
shadow-molded sheathing and 18th century sponge painting.
Other interesting features that were discovered include a wall of
original 17th century oak clapboards that are visible from the
lean-to attic, ceilings on the upper floor that were never plastered,
and a portion of skirt board that once finished the rear wall of the
house. With the exception of minor structural stabilization and
repairs, the house has since gone unaltered, providing a great
opportunity to view 17th and 18th century construction techniques and finishes.
Discover more about the Boardman House in the Historic New England magazine archives:
