How do you tell the ages of different parts of an old house? How do you know if it was built where it now stands or moved to the site? Have walls been moved? Was it ever a tavern? A two-family house?
If you are fascinated by the mysteries of old houses, you won’t want to miss a talk by preservationist Robert Adam on Thursday, September 24, at 7 p.m. at the Harvard Historical Society,
215 Still River Road.
Robert Adam has been working on the Houghton house at 204 West Bare Hill Road for six years, trying to get it to divulge its secrets. He has learned a great deal, but still he admits, “There’s stuff we’ll never know.” Adam has concluded that the house was originally 2 main structures that were “married” together around the turn of the 18th century. The eastern part was originally built on this site in the 1730’s. The western part is an earlier structure that was built elsewhere and moved to this site.
The clues that help solve the mysteries are physical evidence, information from deeds, and details of probate hearings. Dendrochronology is used to date beams, and floorboard widths, paint traces, nails, and siding methods all shed light on when something was built. Adam’s extensive knowledge and experience help him date things by knowing when hand-wrought nails stopped being used, what jogging was for, and how traces of fasteners and decoration are evidence of a cage bar.
The history of the Houghton house promises to be fascinating in itself, and Adam’s discussion of clues and resources will inspire owners of old homes to be their own house detectives.