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Read Ebook: A guide to Plymouth and its history by Briggs Helen T Briggs Rose T Dreher Raymond C Illustrator
Font size: Background color: Text color: Add to tbrJar First Page Next PageEbook has 54 lines and 5511 words, and 2 pagesus life spent for the Colony, was the last of that valiant company to die in Plymouth. His grave stone repeats the record of the town, "He was a godly man and an ancient professor in the ways of Christ." John Howland and his wife, Elizabeth Tilley, had a large family of sons and daughters to inherit and transmit his good name, which after the passage of three hundred years, may be found in every state of that republic to whose beginnings he had given his youth and manhood. Today the Society of Howland Descendants has preserved one of the earliest of the 17th century houses in Plymouth as a memorial to the founder of their family. The house where Jabez Howland, son of John, the Pilgrim, lived, was built in 1667 by Jacob Mitchell. It was of one room with an attic and a great chimney at one end--a very usual type of building at that time. Successive generations have enlarged it by adding rooms on each side of the chimney, and a "lean to," and by lifting the roof for upper rooms, the original structure still remains as part of the completed house. In these oldest rooms John Howland and his wife, no doubt, visited his son and his family, and around the great fire place, which is still existing, memorable tales must have been told of the adventures and experiences of the Pilgrims in their old English homes, their sojourn in Holland, and the early days of the Plymouth settlement. With this historical background the gradual evolution of such a house to meet the changing circumstances and conditions of two centuries is an interesting study of American life. The Society of Howland Descendants, holds its annual reunions in the old house, and have furnished and filled the rooms with antiquarian collections given by its members, or preserved in groups as individual memorials. The house with its associations is interesting to visitors, and to the Howland family a lesson of veneration from the Past to future generations. The Sparrow House When the Plymouth Colony Trust undertook the rehabilitation of a number of old houses on Summer St., many of them were found to contain architectural features of unusual interest. Notable among them, is the Richard Sparrow house. This house is an excellent example of 17th century building, and clearly shows how it was enlarged, a few years after it was built, from the "one-room" to the "lean-to" or "salt-box" type. Its great fireplace, with rounded inner corners and 17th century oven, is remarkable. If, as is believed, the house was built by Richard Sparrow in 1640, it is probably the oldest house now standing in Plymouth. It was therefore decided to restore it to its original appearance, and open it to the public. The Sparrow House is now the headquarters of the Plymouth Potters, a group of local craftsmen doing very attractive and original work with local clay. They maintain a workshop and showroom at the Sparrow House. An old water wheel turns in the brook at the foot of the garden and the firing kiln on the shady bank presents much of interest to craftsmen and artists. Authorities The history of the Plymouth Colony may be read in considerable detail in the words of its founders. The most important of these contemporary accounts is Governor Bradford's history "Of Plymouth Plantation," covering the years 1602-1647. This has been republished at various times, notably by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Historical Society . In his "Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers" , Alexander Young has gathered together and republished a number of contemporary accounts, including "Mourt's Relation," so called, which is actually a journal of 1620-21, written by Gov. Bradford and Edward Winslow, and originally published in London in 1622, with a preface signed "G. Mourt"; "Good News from New England," Winslow's journal of 1622-23, published in London, 1624; and various other interesting documents, such as Cushman's discourse on "The Sin and Danger of Self-Love," a letter referring to the first Thanksgiving; and Winslow's account of the church in Leyden, including John Robinson's farewell sermon. The "Colony Records" have been published by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the "Town Records" by the town of Plymouth. They contain much information invaluable to the student. Other 17th century writers who mention Plymouth are Thomas Morton, the genial but disorderly founder of "Merrymount"; John Pory; and Isaac de Rasieres, whose description of Plymouth in 1629 is quoted in most of the modern histories. Concerning the "Bay Colony" Alexander Young has reprinted much original matter, in a volume similar to his "Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers." Among later histories, the following are very helpful. "The Pilgrim Republic"--John A. Goodwin "The Pilgrims and their History"--Roland G. Usher "Plymouth and the Pilgrims"--Arthur Lord PILGRIM HALL A Museum of Pilgrim History and Relics. Open mornings and afternoons and in the summer, open evenings. THE PLYMOUTH ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY THE ANTIQUARIAN HOUSE THE WILLIAM HARLOW HOUSE CRAFTSMEN AT WORK UNIQUE SOUVENIRS THE JABEZ HOWLAND HOUSE Sandwich Street, opposite Water Street Built in 1674 Admission 25c THE MAJ. JOHN BRADFORD HOUSE LANDING ROAD ? KINGSTON, MASS. JOHN ALDEN HOUSE DUXBURY :: MASS. APTUCXET First Trading Post of Plymouth Colony Reconstructed on the original foundations to illustrate the beginnings of American commerce. On the Cape Cod Canal near the South end of the Bourne Bridge on the Gray Gables Road. HISTORIC WINSLOW HOUSE MARSHFIELD Careswell Street Route 139 Home of Hon. Isaac Winslow, son of Gov. Josiah Winslow and grandson of Gov. Edward Winslow. OPEN JUNE 17-SEPT. 15 ADMISSION 25 CENTS OLD DARTMOUTH HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOUNDED 1903 To create and foster an interest in the history of that portion of the Plymouth Plantations set off as the Town of Dartmouth in 1664, a territory, at present, embracing the towns of Fairhaven, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Westport, and the City of New Bedford. The Society, dedicated to historical research, maintains an extensive and unique Whaling Museum, together with a Museum of Domestic Articles illustrative of the past history of Old Dartmouth. The Museums are open to the public during the week, except on Mondays. and on Sunday afternoons free. STATE STREET TRUST COMPANY BOSTON, MASS. MASSACHUSETTS BONDING AND INSURANCE COMPANY HOME OFFICE: BOSTON Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page |
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