The Colonel James Hartshorne House at 41 Church Street, Wakefield, Mass.
Description:
Photos show the house located at 41 Church Street on the north side of the street near North Avenue. Probably the oldest extant house in Wakefield, the Hartshorne House was built in 1681 by Thomas and Mary Hodgman. It is flanked in the front by two large London plane trees. The original Georgian house was added to during the Federal period. It was for a time known as the Lafayette House because during the ownership of Dr. John Hart, who aquired it in 1792, it was used as an inn named for General Lafayette. The house was purchased in 1803 by Colonel James Hartshorne and his wife Abigail, who lived there until 1870. It is from them that the house takes the name by which it is known today. The property was bought by the town in 1929 and has been managed by the Col. James Hartshorne House Association since 1930. Detailed entry in building survey, "The cultural resources of Wakefield", pD132 The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Church-Lafayette Streets Historic District Photos taken at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, 2008
