Martin House Farm opening for the season

Martin House Farm will be opening for the season Sunday, July 8. Docent led tours run from 1 to  4 p.m. They will be open every Sunday through Sept. 30.

Special events planned for the season for the public to enjoy the beauty of the property and learn about early Colonial Life include the following:

July 22: George Whitley from Grays Grist Mill will be in the barn corn shucking, shelling and hand grinding with a period quern demonstration. He will be bringing yummy Johnny Bread samples and recipes as well.

Aug. 5: Carol Gafford from Swansea Public Library will be reading stories during the Historic House Tour. She will be reading outside under the shady trees so bring your favorite lawn chair or blanket and settle in for some wonderful stories about our early Patriots. Rain date is Aug. 12. Light snacks and ice cold drinks at will be available at both events. Additionally on both of these dates, Nan Szenfer will be demonstrating working with the loom and explaining a bit about textiles in the 18th and 19th century.

 Martin House Farm is a rare example of an 18th and early 19th century farm which still retains the character of its original setting. It consists of the house, two barns and cultivated fields surrounded by dry stone walls and woodlands.

The home was lived in continuously by members of the Martin family for over 200 years. In 1930, it was given to The National Society of The Colonial Dames in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts by Susan Taber Martin Allien, an eighth-generation Martin and a member of the New York Society of The Colonial Dames. In 1979 the Martin House Farm was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, an official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation.

John Martin (b.1674) purchased 63 acres of undeveloped land in 1715. Sometime between this date and 1734, when his son Benjamin was born, the house was built. The original house consisted of a one-room dwelling with a loft above and an outside chimney. A lean-to, added in the rear, was the first expansion.

In 1814 Holden Martin inherited the property from his father and enlarged the house to create an eight-room cottage with a center chimney, a gambrel roof and an exterior of weather-stained shingles and white trim. In the late 19th century an ell was added at the rear. The design of the house has not been altered since that time. The present parlor was the original one-room house. The corner posts and wide-board flooring are original, and a portion of the summer beam is exposed. The fireplace woodwork is a later addition.

This historic house is furnished with a number of Martin family pieces and with Mrs. Allien's collection of American and English antiques. Of special interest are a rare upholstered side chair with its original leather covering, a wainscot-paneled chair of English Jacobean style and a provincial Queen Anne style armchair with rush seat, turned legs and Portuguese bulb stretchers.

A half-tester bedstead and three flat-tester bedsteads (ca 1750-1820) are dressed in documented bed hangings made of reproduction fabrics, hand sewn by members of the Colonial Dames.

Worth noting are several samplers on the second floor and additionally, the spinning wheels and loom are used for demonstrations.

The 1814 kitchen retains its original fireplace with iron crane and is equipped with appropriate cooking utensils and a bake oven on the side. A Martin family musket and powder horn hang above the mantel. Also on display is a collection of pewter.

The barns have recently been restored. The older stone barn provides exhibition space and a venue of special events.

Martin House Farm, 22 Stoney Hill Road, Swansea, is owned and operated by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in MA, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Visit nscdama.org for more information on NSCDA MA’s other historic house museums or their Facebook page for Martin House Farm featuring weekly updates.