Farnum House
Back in June, I visited the Cornet John Farnum House, a recently renovated historic home in Uxbridge, MA, during its open house. With its oldest beam dating from around 1715 and a recent restoration by the Uxbridge Historical Society, the house was a great opportunity to learn local history and see the interior of a building that I often went past but had not gone in for over two decades. The house has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980.
John Farnum was born in Andover, MA in 1672 and was a toddler during King Philip’s War, a clash between European colonists and local Native Americans. Farnum bought the lot in what was then Mendon in 1701 when he was twenty-nine years old, allegedly after consulting with fortuneteller Samuel Wardwell many years earlier. Wardwell was later hanged during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Farnum married local woman Mary Tyler, whose mother Mary Lovett Tyler and two of her aunts — Jo(h)anna(h) / Hannah and Martha / Marthy Lovett Fairbanks — had possibly been accused of witchcraft during the hysteria, although the details of the records are not clear. At any rate, the family may have been viewed with suspicion, prompting members to move to a more rural area and become influential. The title “cornet” indicates a position of a low-ranking commissioned military officers, sometimes called a captain instead.
While the gambrel-style roof and an extension of the main fireplace are unique construction features, and the more recent wooden sink is something I have not seen elsewhere, the more important part of the house was its history. The first town meeting was held in the house in 1727, as the area had recently separated from the neighboring town of Mendon. The house holds several interesting artifacts from the area, including a collection of milk bottles from the Blackstone River Valley, an antique clock, a sign once hung outside the 1778 S. Taft Tavern, a collection of photo albums owned by a historical society member, and a bed allegedly used by George Washington when he had an overnight stay in Uxbridge. (He hated the area, as he seemed to feel about any place outside of Virginia.) Outside was a raised bed labeled 1913, originally added by previous restorationists.
The tour included Engine No 1, a 1937 firetruck restored by the Uxbridge Antique Fire Museum Association and now stored in the North Uxbridge Fire Museum. The original fire station was constructed in 1904 when fire fighting equipment was pulled by horses. The building was restored and reopened as a museum just last year in 2025. Events at Farnum House, such as passport tours and band concerts, take place throughout the year, weather permitting. Farnum House is free to visit whenever it is open. If you live in the area and are looking for a relaxing weekend activity that lasts under an hour, it is worth dropping by during an open house.
