Clara Barton Birthplace

Back in August 2025, I visited the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum in North Oxford, MA. I had previously visited the museum about twenty years early, and I wanted to see how the tour had changed. This small house tour focuses on the life of Clarissa “Clara” Harlowe Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, along with describing her family. Also on the property is The Barton Center for Diabetes Education, Inc., a camp for children with Type 1 Diabetes. The property has been on the National Register of Historic Places as the Clara Barton Homestead since 1977. It is also one of the northern-most towns in The Last Green Valley, formerly known as Quinebaug-Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor.

A sprawling one-story whitewashed house with green shutters A white, wooden sign with black text reading Official Birthplace of Clara Barton Founder of the American Red Cross A red brick fireplace with period appropriate early 19th century decor

The Barton house was built around 1818 and belonged to the family until 1836. Clara was born in 1821, ten years after her closest sister Sally and seventeen years after her oldest sister Dorothea. Their two brothers, Stephen and David, were born between Dorothea and Sally. The family was Christian Universalist, differing from mainstream Christianity in their belief that hell was either temporary or did not exist. They were followers of Hosea Ballou, a common surname on this blog, with family members founding a meeting house and cemetery in Cumberland, RI; a cult in Hopedale, MA; and a mill in Woonsocket, RI. Clara was shy growing up but showed promise as a nurse at an early age, as she took care of David after an accident during a barn raising. She was sent to work as a teacher at a school in North Oxford in 1839 at age seventeen.

A tall wooden chest with books, photos, and family keepsakes Round, framed photograph of a mid-19th century woman Round framed photograph of a mid-19th century man

Clara was a talented teacher but stayed near home until the death of her mother in 1851, when Clara was age twenty-nine. She decided to attend Clinton Liberal Institute in New York for a year, the closest experience a woman of her social class had for college. After a year of study, she founded a school of two hundred students in Bordentown, NJ, only to be forcibly replaced by a man in the second year. With few job opportunities available for women, she joined the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. as a copyist. She worked on and off at the copy office depending on the political views of the administration, until the American Civil War began. In 1861, surviving members of the 6th Massachusetts Militia were bought to the Capitol Building, unfinished and treated as a hospital. Clara volunteered her skills as a nurse and teacher, and discovered a new skill: being in charge.

A wooden desk on a pair of skinny legs. The writing portion can fold up to cover the shelf portion on top. Photographs of late 19th and early 20th century people A tiny piano

Clara convinced civilians to send medical supplies and persuaded military officers to let her near battlefields. During this time, she earned the nicknames “Florence Nightingale of America” after the medical expert and data viz creator who served during the Crimean War, and the “Angel of the Battlefield” for saving the lives of soldiers regardless of race or uniform color. Clara did not stop when the war ended, at least until other medical professionals told her to have a break. She vacationed in Geneva, Switzerland and discovered the fledgling Red Cross, along with one of its founders, Dr. Louis Appia. Then, the Franco-Prussian War broke out, so she took charge of nursing efforts. Upon returning home, she spread the word about the American Red Cross, which grew during the Spanish-American War, the Johnstown Flood, and the Galveston hurricane.

A wooden trunk with the name S.E. Barton stenciled on the side. A shelf with kitchen utensils and a crocheted cat. Collection of photographs featuring a woman and her pets, plus a crocheted cat.

Clara resigned as president of the American Red Cross in 1904 at age eighty-three, as the attitude of her organization had changed greatly since its founding, and her in-charge attitude did not go over well with everybody. She then organized the National First Aid Society the next year, which has since become part of the American Red Cross. Clara did not return to Oxford but instead spent the rest of her life at her own house in Glen Echo, MD, meaning that property was declared Clara Barton National Historic Site instead. Clara died in 1912 at age ninety, widely beloved by many who never met her but were saved due to her ceaseless work. She was buried in nearby North Cemetery in Oxford, MA with her siblings and parents. A special stone with a red cross marks her grave.

Items featuring the Red Cross insignia, including an early nursing uniform, towel, and patches. A late 19th century passport with an eagle insignia on the top. A paper program with the Red Cross insignia on the front, plus words including Red Cross and St Petersburg.

As for the house, it has several unique artifacts, including a portable field desk that Clara used during the Civil War, photographs of her parents, her passport, a spinet, a trunk belonging to her nephew, and American Red Cross memorabilia, including an extensive collection of pins donated from American Red Cross chapters around the United States. Admission to the museum is $8 for adults, $6 for AAA members & seniors, $4 for children ages 6 to 12 and NEMA members, and $0 for children ages 5 and under. The museum is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from the last Friday in May to the last Sunday in August, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but is subject to close due to poor weather. Like most historic houses, Clara Barton Birthplace is not accessible to those using a wheelchair due to the step up to the entrance and the narrowness of the doorways. The rooms were well-lit on a sunny day but may be dim on a cloudy day. The giftshop was extra nice with postcards, crocheted cats, and a bust of Clara. Also note that the website can be difficult to use due to design issues. If you are interested in exploring the offerings of The Last Green Valley, this is a place to add to your list.

A bust of a middle-aged woman with a mid-19th century outfit and hairstyle A stone grave marker with a large red cross at the top A large gravestone with the name Clara Barton and her accolades.

Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 7/10

Accessibility: 7/10



Location: 66 Clara Barton Rd, North Oxford, MA 01537, USA