Historic New England: Swett-Ilsley House
As the second stop on my trip to Newbury and Newburyport, I visited Swett-Ilsley House, a property of Historic New England (HNE). Constructed as a one-room house by Stephen Swett in 1670 and greatly expanded in its 350 years, this house was the first historic building purchased by William Sumner Appleton, Jr., founder of what is now HNE. Conveniently located down the road from another HNE property, Coffin House, the Swett-Ilsley House served many purposes during its long existence and still serves as a rental property, along with a museum. Like other house museums in 17th century buildings, the house is considered a study property, with additions from later periods stripped away and very little reproduction furniture in the space.
During the mid to late 17th center, European colonists commonly built little houses shortly after arriving in Massachusetts Bay Colony but soon expanded the structure to more comfortably fit the entire family. For most houses, a chimney and massive fireplace built on the western end of the house, and additions were made to the west end, turning the side chimney into a center chimney. However, the Swett built the house too far west on their small property to add another room. Instead, future builders expanded on the north side of the house. One of these additions was finished by 1720, and the workmanship was a bit shoddy. On the second story of the house, the purlins (small wooden beams attached to the ceiling rafters) of the addition have come loose from the main rafter, leaving a visible gap. Visitors on the first floor of the house can sometimes see up to the second floor, as the ceilings have come loose from the main beams. Further renovations included an enormous fireplace, over ten feet wide, making it among the biggest of its kind. A renovation after 1756, made possible when the homeowner bought additional property, turned the house into a more rectangular shape. All house renovations were completed by 1820.
Besides its noteworthiness for its unusual design, the Swett-Ilsley House had many purposes other than a family dwelling. Throughout the 18th century, a host of tradespeople worked in the house, my favorite of which was the chocolate maker. This rapid turnover of small business ended in 1797 when the Ilsley family bought the house. Descendents lived in the house until 1911, when it was purchased by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, the precursor to HNE.
Restoration of the property was led by Henry “Harry” Charles Dean, an expert in late Medieval architecture who was only twenty-six years old at the time. His team ripped out wallpaper and plaster until the money ran out. Fortunately for later restorationists interested in the 18th through 20th century, wallpaper and paint behind door frames and in closets survived the cleansing. Dean went on to complete other well-known projects included the Saugus Iron Works House in Saugus, MA during 1915, and the Joseph Webb House in Wethersfield, CT during 1916. Both of these projects were sponsored by Wallace Nutting, who I discuss in greater detail in the blog on Wentworth-Gardner House. Dean’s career was tragically shortened by his death at age thirty-three during the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19. HNE ran a brief article about his life in the Fall 2018 issue of its magazine. While his techniques contrast modern best practices, his work saved many historic buildings.
Admission to the Swett-Ilsley House is standard HNE small house pricing: $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, $5 for students and children, $0 for Newbury residents and HNE members (like me!). Tours last for about forty-five minutes and leave on the hour at 11:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. during the first and third Saturday of the month from June through mid October. Like most historic houses, the building is not wheelchair accessible, and the stairs are difficult to navigate. A virtual tour is available through the HNE website. Visitors are asked to keep their voices low on the tour, as one half of the structure is home to a Newbury resident. If you are an HNE superfan, you must visited the place where it all started.
Abby Epplett’s Rating System
Experience: 8/10
Accessibility: 7/10