"HK" wrote in message
. ..



How about a photo of the historical marker that must be in front of that
old house? :) Must be quite a treat to have a house that old.




No marker. It's not on any historical records, other than local knowledge
and town records. A couple of times the town historical committee has made
noises about registering it, as have other town officials. I've ignored all
interest and inquiries.

Even so, a couple of years ago I had our land surveyed with potential
interest in putting up another barn. I jokingly mentioned to the surveyor
(who is a local native and well versed in town politics) that it would be
easier to move my mother out, demolish the old farmhouse and build a barn on
it's lot.

He told me I'd have a major fight with the town on my hands if I tried to
get the permits to do so. They would immediately declare it a historical
building and I'd have to go through all kinds of grief to get the permits.

The "barn" section of the house doesn't have a single nail in it's basic
construction. All wood beams with wooden pegs.
The entranceway room of the house was the original Duxbury Post Office.
When we bought it, the room still had a customer counter, behind which was a
floor to ceiling, pigeon hole shelving unit. Every town resident had a mail
slot.

A few years ago I met one of the decedents of the family that built the
house. It had stayed in his family until the "farm" was sold in 1996 and
the land was subdivided. There's a huge, silver maple tree behind the house
with a trunk that is about 4-5 feet in diameter. He told me that the tree
was planted by his great, great, grandfather when the house was completed in
1800.


Eisboch