Nomination for Bradford House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 128 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service RECEIVED 2280 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form JAN 3 | 2006 NAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLAÇE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and distriets. See instructions in How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested.If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions.

Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. 1. Name of Property historic name. Bradford House other names/site number Major John Bradford House 2. Location street & number 50 Landing Road not for publication city or town_ Kingston vicinity state_ Massachusetts code_MA - countyPlymouth code_0023 zip code _02364 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1986, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination - request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60.

In my opinion, the property - meets does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant - nationally O statewide locally. (O See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Brma Juon fan. 9,2006 Signature of certifying official/Title Brona Simon Date Massachusetts Historical Commission, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property -meets - does not meet the National Register criteria. (- See continuation sheet for additional Comments.) Signature of certifying official/Title Date State or Federal agency and bureau 4. Naxional Park Service Certification 1, hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register - See continuation sheet. - determined eligible for the National Register - See continuation sheet.

- determined not eligible for the National Register - removed from the National Register - other (explain): Date of Action 3-15:06 Name of Property Bradford House, Kingston 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) X private - public-local - public-State - public-Federal County and State Plymouth, Massachusetts (Check only one box) X building(s) - district - site - structure - object Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing 1 1 Noncontributing 2 _building _ sites _ structures objects Total Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) N/A 2 2 Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register 6.

Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) single dwelling multiple dwelling museum Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) museum Z. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) _Colonial _Colonial Revival Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation fieldstone walls wood shingles, roof wood shingles other Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) 155 F0m 10-900 e United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - 7 Page - 1 OMB Aaprovellle 1021-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA The Bradford House is located in Kingston, Massachusetts, a suburban town located on Kingston Bay in Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

The Jones River drains the town, with its outlet at the bay very near to the location of the Bradford House. Some of the town is low marsh along the river, rising to the south and west to elevations of between 50 and 100 meters. Its earliest and its densest settlement has always been in this eastern waterfront area, along the river and along MA Route 3A, the old road running north and south through the eastern section of the county. The Old Colony Railroad came to the town in 1845, and runs near the house to the south, while MA Route 3 was constructed in 1955 to the east of the house beyond the river. The area immediately surrounding the house is currently a mix of waterfront development of longstanding and 20th 'century suburban lots and houses. To the east of the house, on the river, is another early center-chimney house, and more recent service buildings.

The entire tidal basin of the Jones River had earlier been developed for shipbuilding, but is now largely an open wetland. The house was long identified as among the oldest in the town, believed to have been constructed in 1674 or before 1687, but recently dendrochronology has offered instead the date of 1714. The house was doubled in size later during the 18"h century, creating the two-story center chimney house with rear lean-to that survives today; the documentary record suggests this took place in about 1750. The house was used as a two-family house at the turn of the 20" century and was restored under the direction of George Francis Dow in 1921. The Bradford House sits on a rise above the Jones River, at the corner of Landing Road, which forms its eastern boundary, and Maple Street, which forms its northern boundary.

Its southern boundary is the right-of-way for the former Old Colony Railroad (currently the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) and is marked by a chain-link fence. The west side of the property is partially screened by scrub, next to a residential property with its driveway running along the boundary line. The property's topography includes a rise near the center of the lot, with a sharp drop off to the east, a more gradual one to the north, and generally higher land on the south and west sides. A gravel drive runs from the corner of Landing and Maple, tracing an arc along the east and south bounds and following the earlier path of Landing Road. The house itself sits on the central rise, with a stone retaining wall along the eastern side of the house, separating it from the drive which runs along at a lower level.

The south dooryard includes a reproduction of an 18"-century herb garden, with stone paths around the perimeter and crossing the center. It is enclosed by a tight picket fence with openings at the front door of the house and opposite that point on the south wall. To the west and south of the house is an English barn, oriented so that its long walls run north-south and its east door faces toward the dooryard of the house. It was moved onto this property from East Bridgewater, MA, and restored in 2002; a privy from the same property has been positioned to the northwest of the house. Just to the west of the house is a well and wooden cover. A rail fence runs across the property dividing the south and central part of the lawn from the north. At the low point of the lot, on Maple Street, there is sewage pumping station, with two small metal structures.

The (continued) P5Foam 10900 e United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - 7 Page _2 - OM8 Approvel Ma. 1024-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA property includes the contributing house and the contributing archaeological site described below; non- contributing buildings include the barn and privy; the well is counted as part of the site and the pumping station is not counted. The lot itself includes about 1.4 acres, a grassy lawn marked by occasional trees. The Bradford House (photo #1) faces generally to the south, the most common orientation for early New England buildings. The building is a two-story, center-chimney hall-parlor house with rear lean-to, commonly known as a saltbox. The chimney rises from the center of the building at the ridge and is brick with a modern cap.

The house sits on a low fieldstone foundation, pierced with small windows on the south side and screened vents on the east and west sides. There is a cellar below the western, older section of the house. The exterior is covered in wood shingles, on both the roof and the walls; those on the west wall are laid in a wider configuration than those on the other sides. The façade is divided into four bays, with a single window on each floor to the west of the central entry and a pair of windows on each floor to the east. The center entry has a plain board surround and a four-paneled door, covered by a modern screen door. Each of the side elevations has five openings, two on each story and one in the garret, and they are positioned to serve their locations on the interior rather than exterior symmetry.

There is a mix of window types on the building, the result of a decision during the restoration to use windows to identify the construction dates of sections of the building. Five reproduction diamond-paned casement windows were installed on the west side of the building. Eleven uniform reproduction twelve- over-eight sash are located on the east side of the building. Other reproduction windows on the east side include the twelve-over-eight in the rear pile and the nine-over-six in the gable; other six-over-six sash, probably 19* century, are located in rear pile of the building, on the second floor on the east, and on the first floor on the west.

The rear or north elevation has a single-story, gable-roofed ell on the west side, with board-and-batten doors near the main block on both the east and west sides, and three 19" century windows, a six-over-six on the east and a six-pane sash in the north and west walls. There is a third board-and-batten door on the west end of the rear elevation of the mail block, and three windows to the east of the ell. As originally constructed, the Bradford house was likely to have been a two-story 'half house' with a rear lean-to, now identified as the west section. That section of the building is composed of two structural bays in the front pile, a wider room bay to the west and a narrower chimney bay to the east, and is two stories in height in that pile. It appears to have measured about 24' across the front of the building, extending to a point about two feet to the east of the present door.

The rear lean-to is integral to the original construction of the building, composed of long rafters extending from the roof ridge and down over a low garret space in the second story to the narrower space of the rear pile. From front to rear the building measures about 30'. The original section sits on a fieldstone foundation and over the basement, and the original brick chimney was at the east end (photo #3). (continued) InS Form 10-900 e 8-86 OMB Approvellle. f024-0018 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number - Page - This section of the building is composed of large oak and pine timbers, consistent with the New England bay framing tradition.

The construction details of the east end were altered during the expansion of the building, and several of those members no longer survive. But originally, six two-story posts composed the front pile and single-story posts ran across the rear, joined by girts at the first floor level across the front and rear piles. The large space of the front rooms on each floor have the traditional extra support provided by a summer beam crossing the room, running from east to west on the first floor and from north to south on the second floor, the most common orientation in Massachusetts houses. At the second floor level in the front pile, the front plates sit on top of the posts and in turn support the end and chimney girts.

In order to provide headroom in the lean-to, the girts of the front pile extend beyond the plane of the posts to support the rear rafters, and they extend at a shallower angle from those in the front plane of the roof. The original roof was composed of principal rafters, one at each end, one between the bays, and one in the center of the large room bay, and purlins, one at the ridge and three on each slope. The building is of plank-frame construction, in which the walls between these major members are composed of thick vertical planks rather than filled with studs.

This method is common in southeastern Massachusetts and is more common throughout New England than was formerly believed This western portion of the building appears to have been constructed using the forms and techniques generally known in New England as "First Period," practices employed during the century following settlement in 1620. In this building tradition, the major structural timbers are exposed on the interior of the building and decorated with chamfers on their edges. In this building, although the front and rear girts are not chamfered, the summer beam, the chimney and end girts, and the posts are chamfered. The long chamfer itself is flat, and its termination includes a ridge, a cove, and a pip. The original finish of the interior of the main front room was probably plaster on riven lathe for the walls and whitewash on the exposed framing of the ceiling.

The current finish on the fireplace and north walls of the front room, vertical knotty pine boards, dates to the restoration of the house in the 1920s. The general character of the building's original plan can be suggested based on surviving evidence in the building fabric. The chimney probably included only a single firebox, for the front first-floor room. It thus appears that the house included a single heated room, the large multipurpose room commonly called the hall. It is likely that the rear, lean-to section of the house was originally either a single open space or perhaps divided into two smaller unheated rooms and likely used for either bedrooms or storage. The current configuration, with a rear stair and a bath, is a later arrangement, the stairs perhaps dating to later in the 18th century and the bath to 1976.

On the second story, there was a single large front room, with storage in the rear garret of this story and in the upper attic as well. It is not known at this time where the original stairs or doors were located, although it is clear from recent research that front entries were not necessarily located within the chimney bay, but rather were sometimes positioned to provide entry directly into the large front room. (continued) peS Fom 10.900 g United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel Me. 10240018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number - Page 4 The house was doubled in size during the 18" century, and documentary research suggests this change was made in about 1750.

The addition to the house at the eastern end followed one of the most common patterns for expansions to early houses, adding on to the opposite side of the chimney. This addition generally followed the dimensions established on the original west section of the house, and was also built using plank frame construction. The addition shares the same height and depth as the original section, as well as the same angle of the rear lean-to section. The primary difference in the two sections is the depth of the front and rear piles. On the original west side, the wall dividing the front and rear pile created rooms that were about 18'deep in the front pile and 12' deep in the rear. On the added east side, the front rooms were narrower, measuring 16' deep, while the rear rooms measured 14' in the rear.

This also meant that the second floor had a narrow finished room in the rear pile that had been lacking on the west side, measuring eight feet deep. At this time the original chimney bay was rebuilt to be wider in its east-west dimension, to accommodate a broader chimney with additional fireboxes. It is likely that this is when the front entry and stair were located in the center, chimney bay of the building, perhaps for the first time. This may also be the first time the rooms of the rear pile and second story were heated, through additions to the chimney stack of a west second-story firebox, the east first- and second-story fireboxes. The older section of the house was re-shingled and had new sash windows installed at this time.

The expansion of the house to the east created within it a center-chimney plan, perhaps the most popular of the larger house plans of 18"h -century New England. On the first floor, this common plan, and probably the Bradford House, included as many as five rooms. Here it appears that the old hall remained a multi-purpose room, and eventually its cooking function was removed to the center room of the rear pile, perhaps at the time of the construction of the large hearth and separate oven, likely to have been in the early 19th century. The rooms of the new side of the building likely functioned as a parlor in the front or south side and a small chamber in the rear. Upstairs, the house now included three chambers as well as lean-to and garret storage space.

While this was once considered to be the house type of the average New England yeoman, we now know this to have been the house of the wealthier segment of the population. The interior finish of the rooms on the new east section reflects its later date of construction, and it appears that more of the early finishes have survived here. The exact date of this finish is not certainly known, as finish treatments for this period are not easily dated. They may date to the construction of this addition in about 1750 or may represent a second phase of finish, dating to later in the eighteenth century. Although the frame of the building continues to be articulated, that is the posts are visible in the corners of the rooms, they are now covered in boards that form a box with a bead on the edge. Most of the walls are lathed and plastered, as now are the ceilings as well.

To accomplish this ceiling finish, the new side has deeper joists than on the west side, extending to seven or eight inches in depth to create a single plane across the large and smaller members of the frame. On this side the lathe is of the accordion variety, which commonly dates to later in the 18"h century. The east front rooms on the first and second story had their chimneybreasts ornamented with raised paneling, long rectangular panels over the fireplaces in each room. The parlor also has an ornamental, built-in cupboard in the southwest corner and a plainer one next (continued) K°S Fomm 10-900-8 (5-86) United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Aaprovel tile 1024-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number - Page - to the fireplace.

The lean-to rooms are plastered with a mix of wainscot on the first floor and articulated framing on the second. Changes were also made to the older west side of the house, although evidence has been lost in the large first floor room. The fireplace in the west second story room is small and simple, currently finished with shelves rather than paneling. In the rear center room, now finished as a kitchen, the current finish includes exposed ceiling framing, cased posts, and vertical wainscoting to the level of the windowsills on most of the walls. The fireplace here is also topped by a broad rectangular panel and the oven is next to rather than within the firebox, a feature considered to be characteristic of the early 19th century. The center stair likely dates to this period, a three run stair with short but robustly turned balusters.

Although the house was altered during the 19t century, little evidence of those changes remains. It is likely that the building experienced a number of predictable changes, such as the conversion of the fireplaces for stoves, and unknown alterations to the finish of the east rooms. The small, single-story rear ell extending from the west side of the house was probably a 19th century addition. Much of the frame is articulated, and the walls and the ceiling are covered in boards. In addition, the house was divided horizontally into two apartments, one on the first and one on the second floor. These elements were all removed, however, in the restoration of the building that took place in 1921, under the direction of George Francis Dow. As noted above, some alterations visible in the rooms are datable to this period, and others are likely to come to light with closer examination.

Dow's restoration was generally a gentle one, at least by the standards of his day. While he sanctioned the removal of large amounts of 19"h and early 20th century material, he left much of the 18th century material intact, particularly on the building's east side. His interest was primarily in exposing the 17" century fabric of the building, so on that west side, more material was removed and discarded. His addition of view-ports for interpreting building fabric was a helpful one, and in general, the surviving fabric of the building is in good condition and provides an excellent example of an early house of southeastern Massachusetts. The English barn now located to the west of the house was added to the site in 2002. It was purchased two years earlier in East Bridgewater, MA, and dismantled and moved in 2001.

In its earlier location, the barn had a gable-end orientation, like a small New England barn or carriage house, and was attached by a small structure to a single-story center-chimney house. During dismantling, a careful study of the frame and other fabric suggested that it had earlier been moved and reoriented into this position, following the common pattern of moving and reusing outbuildings on New England farms. The building is believed to have originally been a freestanding English barn, and when it was re-assembled on the site of the Bradford house, that configuration was reestablished. It was reconstructed on a new foundation, with a modern single-story, gable-roofed ell on the north side (photo #2). The barn is covered in shingles on the walls and roof, over vertical board walls, and sits on a foundation constructed of poured concrete and granite.

It has a large center double door on each long wall, the east and the west sides. While the (continued) P6TSFOm 10-9004 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Aaprovel Me 1024-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number - Page - north, east, and west walls of the building are at ground level, the south wall of the foundation is exposed where that section of ground is lower. The barn measures about thirty feet square and is constructed of four bents to create the traditional three bays: a central drive and threshing floor, flanked by open hay storage to one side and animal tie-ups on the other. Each bent is composed of two outer posts and a central post, and joined by two levels of girts and principal rafters.

The bents are joined to one another by medial girts and plates, and there are smaller rails at each level. The roof has collars at each end, and angled braces between the girts and rafters of the central bays. There are four purlins on each roof slope as well as a ridge purlin. There are up braces at each post and some down braces to the lower rails. A number of empty mortises provide evidence of the barn's earlier configuration. The new ell houses modern kitchen and bathroom facilities on either side of a central hall. The un-restored privy is located behind the house, a small gable-roofed structure. Archaeological investigations undertaken in 1972 and 1973, under the direction of James Deetz and Eric Eckholm of Plimoth Plantation, confirmed that significant archaeological materials and features survive on the Bradford House property.

In addition to smaller features, including paved areas adjacent to the front and rear of the house and small depressions in the front yard, this investigation revealed two major features to the west of the house. One was the cellar hole of the barn that stood to the west of the house, as illustrated on maps and in photographs dating to the end of the 19th century. The other, closer to the house and slightly to the south of it, was another foundation of unknown function and date. Both were apparently filled in the late 19"h century, as evidenced by the preponderance of the artifacts recovered from them. Archaeological Description While no ancient Native American sites are recorded on the Bradford House property, sites may be present. Twenty-two sites have been identified in the general area (within one mile).

A "handful" of projectile points were also reported as recovered from the property during historic archaeological investigations by Plimoth Plantation in the 1970s. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether these artifacts were recovered in situ or from historic deposits. Environmental characteristics of the property represent several locational criteria (slope, soil drainage, distance to wetlands) that are favorable for the presence of many types of Native sites. The property occupies an excessively drained, level to moderately sloping rise, located on a larger pitted outwash plain in close proximity to wetlands. The Jones River is located less than 1,000 feet east of the Bradford House and Halls Brook a similar distance to the north. The confluence of the Jones River and Halls Brook is located less than 1,000 feet northeast of the house.

Upland and estuarine locales surrounding Plymouth Harbor and Plymouth Bay are part of a regional Native American settlement core that existed during the Contact Period and earlier. Diagnostic artifacts representing the full range of settlement history recognized for southern New England have been identified in this area. Known site types in the region are diverse and occupy a wide variety of (continued) P655 109004 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel Mfe 1024-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number - Page - 7 environmental locations. The Bradford House lies within this general locale at the border between the upland and estuarine zones. A wide variety of flora and fauna as well as favorable site locations would have been available for Native Americans living in this area.

Given the above information, the size of the nominated property (1.4 acres), and the recovery of Native American projectile points during historic archaeological investigations of the property, a high potential exists for locating ancient Native American resources on the Bradford House property. Potential and known historic archaeological resources associated with the Bradford House include a wide variety of types spanning the house and farmstead's land use history from the 18th through 20" centuries. Earlier 17* century archaeological resources may also exist. Given that information, the potential for locating significant historic period archaeological survivals is great. Potential archaeological resources may include structural evidence of earlier residences and/or alterations to extant buildings, barns, and outbuildings.

Archaeological evidence of occupational related features (trash pits, privies, wells), fences, and paved areas (cobble paving) may also exist. The presence of historic archaeological resources has been documented on the Bradford House Property and a high potential exists that additional resources will be found. Archaeological investigations undertaken in 1972 and 1973, under the direction of James Deetz and Eric Eckholm of Plimoth Plantation, confirmed that significant archaeological deposits including artifact concentrations and features survive on the Bradford House property. In addition to smaller features, including paved areas adjacent to the front and rear of the house and small depressions in the front yard, this investigation revealed two major features to the west of the house.

One was the cellar hole of the barn that stood to the west of the house, as illustrated on maps and in photographs dating to the end of the 19t century. The other, closer to the house and slightly to the south of it, was another foundation of unknown function and date. Both were apparently filled in the late 19'h century, as evidenced by the preponderance of the artifacts recovered from them. While a site report was never written for the Plimoth Plantation excavations, the presence of systematically controlled excavations including grids, written records, photographs, and artifacts collected and recorded by provenience units supports the integrity of features, artifact concentrations, and overall context of archaeological materials surrounding the Bradford House.

The archaeological collection recovered in the 1970's has been designated as site C-23 and is intact and on file at Plimoth Plantation. (end) Name of Property Bradford House, Kingston 8. Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark "x"in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register listing.) XA Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. -B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. X. C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. X D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.) Property is: _A owned by religious institution or used for religious purposes. _ B removed from its original location.

_ C a birthplace or grave. _ D a cemetery. _E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. _F a commemorative property. -G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years. County and StatePlymouth, Massach! Is Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) Archaeology Architecture Community Planning and Development Social History Period of Significance ca. 1714-1956 Significant Dates 1714, 1750, 1921 Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) Cultural Affiliation Architect/Builder George Francis Dow (1868-1936) Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) 2.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

Major Bibliographical References (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) Primary location of additional data: XState Historic Preservation Office - Other State agency X Federal agency X Local government X University X Other Name of repository: HABS, Preservation Studies, Boston University, Jones River Village Historical Society, Kingston Public Library, Plimoth Plantation OMB Approvel Me. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA The Bradford House is an important example of an early hall-parlor and lean-to house, known colloquially as a saltbox, located in the Plymouth County town of Kingston, Massachusetts.

Long believed to have been the house of Major John and Mercy Warren Bradford, the house has been dated by dendrochronology to 1714, and so is believed to be the house of his son William and his wife Hannah Foster Bradford. The oldest western half of the house is a First Period building. The house was doubled in size in the 18"h century, probably in about 1750 by William's nephew Seth Chipman, Jr., and his wife Sarah Ripley Chipman. At that time the house had an eastern section added next to the chimney, which matched the earliest section in height and depth. The house was owned by Joseph Sampson and his family at the end of the 18" century, who are likely to have modernized the house as well. During the mid-19' century, Sampson-family descendants owned the house but lived elsewhere and the house was tenanted.

At the end of the 19 century, the house was owned and occupied by Robert and Catherine McGrath, and it was apparently divided into two living units, one on the ground floor and one on the second floor, probably early in the 20th century. By that time, however, the historic associations of the property were more widely recognized, and the house was purchased for preservation and later restored under the direction of George Francis Dow of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. Since 1921 the house has been owned by the Jones River Village Club, now known as the Jones River Village Historical Society, which maintains the property as part of its larger goals to improve the Village and to encourage interest in the history of Kingston.

The Bradford House is a well-preserved example of an important early house form and retains integrity of location, setting, materials, design, workmanship, feeling, and association. The house was constructed for William and Hannah Foster Bradford, early and influential settlers in the area, whose family contributed significantly to the town's founding and growth. In addition, the survival of archaeological evidence on the property, as well as the potential for a better understanding of its physical fabric through physical analysis, suggest that the property retains research potential as well. The Bradford House is closely associated with the history of the Town of Kingston, provides an important example of changing housing in the region, and is associated with the early preservation movement in Massachusetts. The Bradford House therefore meets criteria A, C, and D at the local level.

Kingston, Massachusetts, is located on Kingston Bay, an inlet of the larger Plymouth Bay and part of the coastal territory of the Patuxet band ofthe Wampanoag at the time of English Separatist settlement at Plymouth to the south in 1620. The area had been visited and described by several English explorers over the previous two decades and many of the tribe had been exterminated by exposure to disease from these explorers and the fishermen who made trips to the vicinity. Like most of the towns in this central coastal section of the county, Kingston was originally part of the town of Plymouth, the first community settled by the English.

Land in this area had been distributed to Plymouth townspeople beginning in 1627 (continued) 155F0m 10200-1 United Statec Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Aaprovel Mle 1021-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number 8 - with the twenty-acre grants, and it was the movement of families to these lots that began the dispersal of settlement out of the village of Plymouth. The area was set off with portions of its neighbors Duxbury, Pembroke, and Plympton, as the North Precinct of Plymouth in 1717, and the precinct was incorporated as the town of Kingston in 1726. Three generations of Bradfords had already built houses and made farms in Kingston, beginning with Governor William Bradford (d. 1657), whose house is said to have been located to the north and west of this one on Foster's Lane.

His son Major William Bradford next occupied his father's house, served as deputy governor of Plymouth colony, and was a key figure in the waging of King Philips War. The Bradford family was said to hold all of the land from Stoney Brook to the Duxbury line, including lands near the mouth of Jones River and at the Landing, water-powered manufacturing sites along the brook, and a significant portion of the village of Kingston. Major John Bradford (1653-1736), of the third generation, was the principal inhabitant of the new town, a merchant who exported forest and agricultural products. In addition to his extensive holdings in Kingston, he held land in the neighboring town of Plympton, a lot in Major's Purchase, which later became part of Pembroke, and a share in a tract of Leveretts' Purchase, which included land in Maine.

He served as a deputy of the Colony at the end of its independence (1689-91) and later as a representative to the General Court in Boston (1695, 1705, 1708). He was the town's first moderator, contributed land for the first school, meetinghouse, the burying and training grounds, and for the house for the minister, and served as selectman. John Bradford married Mercy Warren (1653-1747), daughter of Joseph and Priscilla Faunce Warren, in January of 1675, and together they had three sons and four daughters over the next thirteen years. Their marriage has often been given as the date for construction of this house, but it now appears that the dwelling house noted in the deed from his father William, signed in 1687, but not filed with the court until 1701, was another building on John's extensive holdings.

Like many of New England's patriarchs, John Bradford began to distribute his large holdings to his sons as they came of age and married, in their late twenties. And as was also common, John dealt with his youngest son, William (1688-1728) differently, perhaps because of the common tradition that the youngest son would stay at the homestead with his parents. Compared to that given to his other sons, John gave only a small amount of land at the Landing to his son William, in 1713 when he was twenty- five. A year later, William married Hannah Foster (1694-1778) and together they had five sons and a daughter. This is the date assigned to the house, which suggests that the house was constructed by or for William as he launched his new family life. Fifteen years later, however, in 1728, William died at age forty, leaving the widow with six children under eleven.

William's probate documents note that he had a house, but that the land associated with it was not certainly his. As the inventory notes, the assessors, "not having full assurances of the land[,] we are not at present able to value." This is just what might have occurred if William was living on property still owned by his father, with the understanding that he would inherit the property eventually. (continued) MC'S Form 10-900-a 03 86 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OM8 Aaprovel fle 1021-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number - Page - 3 The Bradfords constructed what some call a 'half house,' consisting of a room bay and a chimney bay rising to two stories in the front pile and with an integral lean-to in the rear.

The building includes the articulated and decorated frame that characterizes this period of construction, and provided for the family an ample front hall for cooking and general daily activities, storage and perhaps an unheated chamber in the rear pile of the first floor, and a large front chamber in the second story; additional storage was possible in the lean-to and front pile garrets. Bradford's inventory was not taken room-by-room, and bears an extraordinary resemblance to his father's. It notes only three spaces by name, the "chamber," the "buttery," and the "other part of the house." His collection of personal property is suggestive of his status and wealth, including books, silver, armaments, white earthenware, forks, numerous textiles, farming equipment, cattle and sheep, and debts due to him.

It appears that, in spite of his son's early death, John Bradford maintained the general outline of his plans for his homestead, because he soon gave more land and passed his homestead on to the five sons of William and Hannah, in 1732. John Bradford wrote his will in the same year, when he was eighty, confirming all the gifts he had made to his children and grandchildren; he died four years later and his widow, Mercy Warren Bradford, died in 1747. The widow Hannah Foster Bradford had remarried, and it is not entirely clear what happened with regard to the property and the occupancy of the house by her and her children. During the 1740s, however, the sons of William came of age and all chose to alienate their shares in the property they received from their grandfather John.

By the close of the decade, the property was owned, still in shares, by John Brewster, Samuel Foster, and Seth Chipman, Jr. The three men divided the property between them in 1750, and Chipman received the section including the house. Seth Chipman, Jr., (1724-1766) was the oldest son of Seth Chipman, who came to Kingston after his marriage to Priscilla Bradford (b.1686), the daughter of John and sister of William, in 1721. Seth, Jr., was a mariner and married Sarah Ripley in 1746, but they did not have children until the births of their daughters in 1764 and 1766. After his death in 1766, debts mounted and the widow Sarah and her father William Ripley petitioned the legislature in 1771 to sell the estate to provide funds for herself and her children.

The estate left by Chipman was described as "an house and barn & twelve acres of homestead land near Kingston landing, and about fifty acres of woodland about a mile & a half from the dwelling." The widow was "incapable of supporting them [her daughters], not capable of improving the estate to any advantage excepting the house as an habitation.... The dwelling house is a large double house, half of one age, and the other part of another, and put together about twenty years ago the old part having then stood many years, and new covered & new windows made at building of the new part..." This document is an extraordinary one, providing as it does evidence for a date for the expansion of the house in about 1750, just at the time Seth Chipman acquired it.

Physical evidence at the building suggests that this doubled the size of house through the addition of a new section of the building on the east side. The house now likely included aearlorpiscedl las a sall, as ladlis onal c hadber" and str fea. res, is prding py vhen eas raisend panel finish in the east parlor and parlor chamber. The document continues, noting "the barn about (continued) Pe5Fomm 10-900 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Axprovel Me. 1024-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number. 0O Page - twenty-eight feet long & eighteen or twenty feet wide [,] the frame greatly decayed, and the fence about the land gone to wreck, and the remaining part of the woodland so stript that there is but little wood thereon, ...

the buildings thereon are daily running into decay which must prove very detrimental to the children on their arrival at the age of possession." The petitioners noted further that the proceeds of the sale would be more valuable to the children than a division of the land and buildings, "especially that considering their sex, it is unlikely that they should ever settle thereon." The plan was to provide an income to the widow and support to the children and to discharge the debts of the estate. After the financial failure of the Seth Chipman estate, the property of about nine acres, with the house and outbuildings, were sold to Kingston trader Cornelius Sampson (ca. 1724-1796). Sampson was born in Kingston, married Desire Crocker in 1747, and together they had ten children over the next twenty-two years.

He was a prosperous merchant, the town's richest man in 1784, and it seems likely that he made this acquisition as he began to provide for his maturing family. Sampson gave this property to his son Joseph (1751-1804) in 1780, after the young man had completed his service in the Revolution and prior to his marriage to Judith Drew in 1787. Joseph seems to have added significantly to the property because at his death it included twenty-seven acres. It is likely that the house experienced some remodeling during this period, in light of the deterioration it had experienced during the last years of Chipman ownership. The chimneys were probably closed down in the front west room, and perhaps a more refined finish was added there.

The kitchen was likely updated as well, and the configuration of that firebox, with a comparatively small fireplace and the oven on the wall adjacent to it, suggests a construction date at the close of the eighteenth century. At Joseph Sampson's death in 1804, the property was given to his widow Judith and then to his children Joseph and Betsy, who were then minors, aged five and fourteen respectively. During the middle decades of the 19t century, the Bradford house was owned by Betsy Sampson Beal (1790-1869) and later briefly by her sons and heirs. Betsy was married in 1812 to Thomas Prince Beal (1796-1852), who was a member of Harvard College's class of 1806, and went on to a career as a lawyer and state senator. They lived elsewhere in Kingston and during this period the house was tenanted by Daniel Cushman and his family.

Betsy Beal acquired the property in 1824, when her brother Joseph Sampson (1799-1844) sold some of his inheritance from their father. The house is said to have been the location of the town's first Roman Catholic mass in the 1850s, when Irish immigrants came to the town in significant numbers. After her death in 1869, the property was divided between her sons Alexander and Joseph S. Beal. It appears that at the time Betsy Beal held the property it included a total of about twenty- four acres, which she divided into two sections for her sons, one of about eleven acres and one of about thirteen acres including the house. Alexander, who lived in Boston, sold the thirteen acres and the house to his brother Joseph, who remained in Kingston and served as an attorney like his father.

Joseph then divided off a section of just under nine acres, including the house, and sold it to Robert McGrath in 1875. (continued) P5F 109009 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel tle 1021-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number - 8 Page - Robert McGrath was among the early Irish immigrants to Kingston. Many were first employed in the households of the town's wealthy families, and later in the town's iron manufactories, as stone masons, at Plymouth Cordage, and served in a number of town offices. McGrath was apparently a former employee of the Old Colony Railroad, who served as a crossing tender; his son Tom served as custodian of the Town Hall.

Photographs, maps, and plot plans of the property at the turn of the century demonstrate that much of the exterior appearance of the house has been preserved today. The house was shingled and a tight fence enclosed the back yard, the rear ell, and the privy. A row of trees ran along the east edge of the lawn, above the retaining wall, and the gravel road. A small barn or carriage house was sited to the west and south of the house, a small, single-story building oriented with its gable end facing to the east. Its large main door was on that side, and it appears that each other side was lit with double-hung sash. The building sat on a raised foundation where the land sloped off to the west, providing an open area below that might have been a piggery. Further to the east there was a cluster that suggests a small orchard of fruit trees.

After Robert's death in 1898, the property was held by his wife Catherine, who subdivided the land into six house lots in about 1903. Catherine then gave most of the property to her daughter Julia in two deeds, dated 1905 and 1907, and during this period Julia provided assistance to her mother in managing the property. After Catherine's death, the property was Julia's, and as she worked as a private duty nurse, apparently mostly in the Boston area, it is not surprising that she did not want to hold on to the rental property. During this period the house was recognized as a historic site and after years of occupation as rental housing, the property was purchased and held by owners who hoped to preserve it. Sarah Y. DeNormandie Bailey (Mrs.

Thomas, 1865-1932) was apparently the first to express a concern that the building be purchased by a person or organization that would provide protection for it. In November of 1910, Bailey wrote to William Sumner Appleton, who had only recently launched the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. Bailey's fears for the future of the property reflect the values of many long-time New Englanders in the face of the rising tide of immigration: "All who would be interested in our early history would be glad to see it saved from getting into the hands of foreign people." Appleton begged off, claiming that the young organization had little to invest at this stage, when recruiting members was the highest priority.

Bailey was undaunted, and in December wrote to McGrath asking whether she would sell the house and about two acres of land, and, if she were willing to sell, that she agree to hold the property while they raised the cash. At about this time, others were contacted about purchasing the house, including the Society of Mayflower Descendants and Walter Lippincott, of Philadelphia. The Mayflower Society demurred, noting that they too could not spare the money needed for the project and preferred to make donations to the poor. Lippincott's mother was a Governor William Bradford descendant, through Major John Bradford, and the family owned the publishing company of the same name. Lippincott was interested in the property, was willing to invest $2,000, and purchased it in 1911.

His plan was that the house serve as (continued) Pe5Fom 10900 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel ele 1021-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number - 8 Page - a memorial to his mother and would be given to the Mayflower Society. Should the Mayflower Society refuse the gift, he suggested that the town of Kingston use the property for a park. Perhaps World War I contributed to the hiatus in activity surrounding the house. Apparently Lippincott was not able to accomplish either of the plans that he had proposed for the Bradford House, and in 1920 he sold the property to Ezra Wright. Wright had the land surveyed into another configuration of twenty-three lots for sale in the developing area.

Concern about the future of the house revived interest in preserving and restoring it, and the Jones River Village Club soon decided to purchase the house they continue to own today. The roots of the Jones River Village Club are deep, and extend back to the 19"h century's tradition of local improvement efforts and to the early 20" century's conservation movement. In 1898, the Village Improvement Society had succeeded in moving the town's dump from an unsightly position in the village center. Later, when President Theodore Roosevelt asked each state and territory to document its natural resources, Miss Helen Holmes became engaged in the survey in Kingston and its neighboring towns.

After her father's death, Holmes became interested in the future of his farm, began to take courses at the Massachusetts Agricultural College, and became involved in the survey for this section of Massachusetts. She invited interested and knowledgeable townspeople to her home, and when their work toward that effort was complete, they hoped to continue research. The Jones River Village Club was the result. Conservation was the Club's first focus, made up of men and women who "were interested in preserving and developing our natural wealth." Educational lectures and demonstrations were numerous, as were an array of social events, from picnics and clam bakes to husking bees. Membership grew steadily, but in 1913, when the Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry was formed in the town, the Club stopped meeting.

Seven years later, as interest in the Plymouth Tercentenary mounted, the Club was revived and a new constitution was drawn. To its earlier goals the Club added "to encourage interest in its [Kingston's] history" and "to maintain and establish and maintain a place for meeting." In December of 1920, members of the Club, in particular Emily Fuller Drew (1881-1950) and Helen Adams, began to discuss whether they might take over the Bradford house themselves and restore it. While the Club moved toward incorporation to shore up public confidence, Drew purchased the house for $2,000 in February and in March of 1921 she sold it to the Club, taking back a mortgage. Wright retained the right to move the barn off the premises.

The Club identified three principal areas of historic interest for the property, still reflecting the traditional date of the house and its association with John Bradford: "the house which dates from about 1675, is the oldest in existence in America built by any member of the family of the Pilgrim governor as a dwelling place, and was closely associated with the early history of Plymouth Colony; ...

it was for a quarter of a century the repository for Governor Bradford's priceless manuscript history 'Of Plimouth Plantation'; [and] because John Bradford, the builder of the house, was a promoter and principal benefactor of the Town of Kingston in its earliest days." The Club was fortunate to have members with contacts in a critical network of preservationists, (continued) KnS Form 10-900-8 13-86) OM8 Approvel tle 1021-0018 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number 8 Page - and their involvement early in the project assured a comparatively gentle restoration. Marion Olmsted was a Kingston resident, and she persuaded her brother Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., the landscape architect, to visit the house in the spring of 1921.

Olmsted gave sage advice to the committee, warning them that work on the house should be undertaken "with a humble mind and a willingness to learn from the house itself." Armed with a crowbar, Olmsted attacked the early restorer's favorite building feature, tearing out the wall that covered the early fireplace. Olmsted quickly put himself out of the decision- making with an enthusiastic and emphatic recommendation of George Francis Dow (1868-1936) of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, "without question the best man on the older New England colonial house." As Olmsted's comment suggests, Dow's career was well established by the time he gave advice on the Bradford house.

Dow was a popular writer on historical subjects, and some of his best-known works include The Sailing Ships of New England (with John Robinson), The Pirates of the New England Coast (with John Henry Edmonds), Whale Ships and Whaling, Domestic Life in the Seventeenth Century, The Arts and Crafts in New England, Everyday Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and The History of Topsfield; he also edited historical documents for publication, including the Records and of Files of the Quarterly Courts and the Probate Records of Essex County. Dow worked at the Essex Institute in Salem before coming to SPNEA, and was responsible for several early restorations on the north shore, including the John Ward house in Salem, the Parson Capen house in Topsfield, and the Choate house in Essex.

He later made a significant contribution to the design of Pioneer Village, a 1930 reconstruction of Salem in 1630. Dow's career has yet to be the subject of intensive study, but he was clearly at the center of the emerging preservation movement. When the Bradford house was taken over by the Club, it was divided into two tenements, one on the upper floor and one on the ground floor. The walls had been furred out and covered with lathe and plaster. The front room on the west side of the house was used as a chamber, and had a wall covering the fireplace, on the east side, and a large closet along the west wall. In the northwest corner was a "buttery," and evidence of this closet with shelves is still visible. It appears that the southeast room served as a parlor, and the kitchen was the center rear room, with perhaps another chamber in the northeast corner room.

On the second floor, the west front room was partitioned in two, one serving as a kitchen. Perhaps in this case the southwest room served as parlor and the two east rooms as chambers. The wood shed for the first floor was the room later fitted as a kitchen, while the rear shed served as the wood shed for the upper unit, entered from the rear stair. It is not clear whether these changes had been made during the ownership of the McGraths or later when the property was owned by Lippincott and was tenanted by families known only generally as Italian. Italian immigrants were numerous in this section of Kingston, adjacent to North Plymouth, where the Plymouth Cordage works provided employment. Lippincott chose Louisiana cypress for new hand shaved shingles on the west side of the house, laid wider to the weather than others on the rest of the house.

(continued) 16-5F0m 10900 United Statec Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvdl Mle 1021-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number - 8 Page -8 A fter removing a significant amount of this later fabric, Dow decided to restore the west section of the house to its generally late 17 century appearance, leaving the generally 18' century fabric on the newer east side. Although involved in the project, Dow apparently made only three visits to the house, charging only $54.85 for his services. He would examine the house with the carpenter George Holmes, and "as they found evidence, Mr. Dow carefully explained to Mr. H, just what to do..." In particular, the size and location of the casement windows that were installed on the west side of the house were determined by the openings in the plank walls.

Windows and doors were fabricated to replace lost elements, as were materials from other old houses that were being demolished. Dow installed view-ports, sections of panel that could be lifted, so that visitors could examine critical sections of the building fabric to better understand its evolution and restoration. Dow also consulted on furnishings for the house. The Bradford House was opened to the public over the summer of 1921 and entertained over a thousand visitors. In 1926 the house played a central role in the bi-centennial celebration of the founding of the town, with a pageant describing the history of the house between 1674 and 1926, among the most common of colonial revival history celebrations. The Club's Industries Committee was particularly active, and many items, particularly rugs, were made and sold in the shop at the Bradford house.

A list of rooms in the house suggests that the Club was following the period practice of combining the historic house museum with sales and tearooms. During the 1950s, additional repairs were made to the building. There were problems with major members, including the south sill and east post and at another time with the north sill. This also required that some of the interior wainscot be removed in the northwest room, which was replaced by the contractor "improving it where he could." The second story floors were also apparently in need of replacement, and again, the Club turned to a house being demolished. At this time both phone service and electric current were introduced to the house. There is evidence that the Club consulted restoration professionals as they pursued at least some of this work, in correspondence between Roy Baker of SPNEA and Helen H. Adams.

In the 1970s, the Bradford house property was the subject of an archaeological investigation, under the direction of Eric Ekholm and James Deetz of Plimoth Plantation. At first, the effort was apparently aimed at finding archacological evidence for a barn from the 17" century. Over two seasons, the site was overlaid by a grid of five-foot squares. The site was quite thoroughly excavated, including a long trenches across both the north and the south yard, excavation adjacent to the north, south, and east walls of the house, and the excavation of two cellar holes to the west of the house. These latter were the most significant features uncovered, one for the foundation of the 19th century barn and another for an unidentified structure located closer to the house and to its south.

Unfortunately, since there is no final site report, it is difficult at this time to determine what this second cellar might have been. Some sources, written at about the time of the excavation, suggest that the cellar is the original location of the house, and that it was subsequently moved to its current location. It is not clear what would have caused such a move or what benefit might have come from it; it seems more likely that the foundation represents an (continued) 15F0 103004 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel Mle 1021-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number - 8 Page- outbuilding.

A careful analysis of the materials removed from the cellar hole and further excavation to identify the limits of the building that stood above it might yield a more confident explanation for this feature. Similarly, although much was excavated, many areas remain untouched or have not been excavated to sub-soil, so additional study could be fruitful at this site. Thirty-seven boxes and seven trays ot artitacts were uncovered, including a handful of prehistoric projectile points and objects that may date to the 17" century, as well as a broad array and a much larger quantity of materials from the 18th through the 20* century. The Jones River Village Historical Society have placed the artifacts, notes, and photographs of this project on deposit at Plimoth Plantation as site C-23.

The Jones River Village Club, now known as the Jones River Village Historical Society, continues to be active in its preservation of the Bradford House and in planning for its respectful use and preservation. In order to better protect the house and dedicate it primarily to museum functions, the Society decided to remove some of its regular activities from the house and into another building on the site. For that purpose, they purchased an outbuilding that was located in East Bridgewater, and moved it to the property, re-erecting it in 2002 under the direction of timber-framer Michael Burrey. The building had likely served most recently as a carriage house and earlier as a barn, and was attached by a wood shed to a single-story, center-chimney house.

During its dismantling and rebuilding, an examination of the building's fabric revealed that it had been originally an English barn that had later been turned to create a gable-fronted New England barn or carriage house. The earlier configuration was restored, the building was relocated to the west and south of the Bradford House, and rebuilt on a deep foundation. A kitchen and lavatory addition was made at the north end, and the building serves as general meeting and storage space for the Society. At the same time, a privy was moved from the same property, which sits un- restored behind the house. As the experience of the Jones River Village Historical Society amply demonstrates, the town of Kingston has a long-standing commitment to the preservation of its historic resources. During the 1990s, those efforts were redoubled.

First, the town conducted two successive years of inventory of historic resources. Then in 2002, the town's village center was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Kingston Center Historic District. With the nomination of the Bradford house, the town turns to the its significant individual resources, rare survivals of the region's early settlement that document the long history of change in the community. Archaeological Significance While numerous ancient Native American sites have been recorded in the Kingston area, few have been systematically or intensively studied, limiting their level of interpretation. Many sites remain undocumented with locational information only.

Collections research has contributed some information relating to cultural chronologies, tool technologies and site type/function based on inferences from artifact (continued) KC°S Form 10-900-a p5-86 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Aaprovel tia. 1024-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number - Page - 10 tool types and location; however these collections may reflect collector bias for locations and materials and usually lack intrasite provenience. Professional archaeological surveys and excavations conducted over the last 25 years as part of cultural resource management studies have contributed additional information; however among over 2,000 such studies conducted statewide in Massachusetts, only 10 were in Kingston.

Given the above information, patterns of ancient Native American settlement in Kingston remain poorly documented. Any surviving sites in the district or town have the potential to contribute valuable information relating to the town's Native American history. Native sites located on the Bradford House property may contain information that documents the growth of settlement in the Kingston locale and the role it played in the development of a regional Native American settlement core that evolved in this area. Information may exist that documents the reasons why a core developed in this area, possibly as a function of sea level rise, and the floral and faunal resources that developed in upland and marine related ecosystems. Information may exist that documents the distribution of site types and functions within this area and how that distribution changed through time.

Additional archaeological testing of the Bradford House property combined with detailed analysis of the Plimoth Plantation artifact collection from the 1970s excavations may demonstrate the presence of ancient Native American resources on the Bradford House property. Previous excavations may have been limited to historic deposits. Undisturbed strata may not have been excavated. Given that information, it is currently impossible to say the Native artifacts recovered during the 1970s excavations represent intact Native occupation of the property. Detailed analysis of the Plimoth Plantation artifact collection from site C-23 and its records and/or further excavations at the site should resolve any question about Native occupation of the property.

Historic archaeological resources associated with the Bradford House may contribute important and detailed information on the changing social, cultural, and economic patterns that characterized the lives of individuals and families in early settlements in early eastern Massachusetts. Archaeological survivals of earlier structures and structural change of existing residences and outbuildings may reflect social change of families who resided in the home and in outlying communities. Intact evidence of structures with integrity was recovered during the Plimoth Plantation excavations during the 1970s. Detailed analysis of these structures including associated artifact concentrations may contribute important information related to economic changes in families, communities, or even the region as a whole.

Occupational related features (trash pits, privies, wells) may also contribute important information in the areas noted above as well as information related to the lifeways of different individuals that inhabited the Bradford House. Archaeological features may also help document construction dates for different parts of the house, barns, outbuildings, unidentified structures, and the early settlement of the Kingston community for which few early settlement samples survive. In the 1970s, the Bradford house property was the subject of an archaeological investigation, under the direction of Eric Ekholm and James Deetz of Plimoth Plantation. At first, the effort was (continued) M°S Form 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OM8 Approvel Na.

1024-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Section number - Page _ apparently aimed at finding archacological evidence for a barn from the 17* century. Over two seasons, the site was overlaid by a grid of five-foot squares. The site was extensively tested, including a long trenches across both the north and the south yard, excavation adjacent to the north, south, and east walls of the house, and the excavation of two cellar holes to the west of the house. These latter were the most significant features uncovered, one for the foundation of the 19t* century barn and another for an unidentified structure located closer to the house and to its south. Unfortunately, since there is no final site report, it is difficult at this time to determine what this second cellar might have been.

Some sources, written at about the time of the excavation, suggest that the cellar is the original location of the house, and that it was subsequently moved to its current location. It is not clear what would have caused such a move or what benefit might have come from it; it seems more likely that the foundation represents an outbuilding. A careful analysis of the materials removed from the cellar hole and further excavation to identify the limits of the building that stood above it might yield a more confident explanation for this feature. Similarly, although much was excavated, many areas remain untouched or have not been excavated to sub-soil; so additional study could be fruitful at this site.

Thirty-seven boxes and seven trays of artifacts were uncovered, including a handful of prehistoric projectile points and objects that may date ins tonl afa ber ailagay aindreal so dreger as plaicyd fhe ariads, otcs, ang through photographs of this project on deposit at Plimoth Plantation as site C-23. The excavations conducted by Plimoth Plantation in the 1970s demonstrates that the research potential for early residences, including the Bradford House, lies as much below ground as it does above. Just as the Bradford House evolved over time, the household and farmstead it housed also grew and changed. Since the Bradford House existed in a rural setting over much of its history and many of its original architectural characteristics remained unchanged, the likelihood that a significant archacological record survives is extremely high.

That likelihood is supported by the results of the Plimoth Plantation excavations. While a detailed analysis and comprehensive site report remains to be written, the information at hand supports the presence of intact structures, artifact concentrations, and a high degree of integrity. Clearly, further documentation is needed in order to assess the significance of the remains recovered to date and their archacological potential; however, the information has already yielded and is likely to yield further information important in the history of the Bradford House and the settlement of Kingston. (end) KTS Form 10-900-a 1686 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - - OMB Aaprovel Me. 1021-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA - REFERENCES Adams, Helen Hawes.

[Facts concerning the purchase and restoration of the Bradford House], n.d., Jones River Village Historical Society (hereafter JRVHS) Papers. Bailey, Sarah Y. The Later History of the Bradford House, 1923, JRVHS Papers. . The Old Maj. Bradford House, 1933, JRVHS Papers. Burrey, Michael. Report on Moving and Restoring the Barn, 2003. Cahalane, Katherine S. The Early Irish in Kingston, n.d., JRVHS Papers. Chase, Sally F. Dawes, [History of the Jones River Club], 1950, JRVHS Papers. Cummings, Abbott Lowell. The Framed Houses of Massachusetts Bay (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1979). Dempsey, Claire. Research Report on the Bradford House, prepared for the JRVHS, forthcoming. Drew, Emily. Early Days in the Jones River Village Club, n.d., JRVHS Papers. Garvin, James. A Building History of Northern New England (Hanover: The University Press of New England, 2000).

Jones River Village Historical Society Papers. Collection on deposit at the Kingston Public Library, Kingston, MA. This collection includes many essays relevant to the history of the Bradford House, attributed and anonymous; a sample of the credited examples are included elsewhere in this bibliography. _. Archaeological Collection, Site C-23, on deposit at Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, MA. Melville, Doris Jones. Major Bradford's Town: A History of Kingston, 1726-1976 (Kingston: Town of Kingston, 1976). Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory. The Tree-Ring dating of the Bradford House, 50 Landing Road, Kingston, MA, report No. 2005/2, January, 2005. Visser, Thomas Durant. Field Guide to New England Barns and Farm Buildings (University Press of New England, 1997). (end) Name of Property: Bradford House, Kingston County and State Plymouth, Massachusetts 10.

Geographical Data Acreage of Property 1.4 acres UTM References See continuation sheet. (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1.19 357 180 4649 660 Zone EastingR Northing 2.19 Zone Easting Northing 3. 19 Zone 4.19 Zone Easting Northiing Easting - See continuation sheet Northing Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) 11. Form Prepared By name/title__Claire W. Dempsey consultant, with Betsy Friedberg, NR Director, MHC organizationMassachusetts Historical Commission street & number_220 Morrissey Boulevard .

date January 2006 _ telephone _617-727-8470 city or town Boston _state_MA _ zip code_02125 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: Continuation Sheets Maps A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Photographs Representative black and white photographs of the property.

Additional items (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items) Property Owner (Complete this item at the request ofthe SHPO or FPO.) name Jones River Village Historical Society street & number 50 Landing Road _telephone 781-585-6300 city or townKingston _ state MA _ zip code_02364 Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.).

Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.0. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. P5Kom 10-9000 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 10 Page - 1 OMB Aaprovel Me.

1024-0018 Bradford House Kingston (Plymouth), MA Verbal Boundary Description The boundaries of the district are those shown for Lot 45, Map 36, as shown on the submitted Kingston Assessors maps 36 and 37. Boundary Justification The boundaries of the property are those associated with the property since 1922, when it became an historic house museum. This land is part of a larger parcel associate with the property since thr late 17' century (end) PHOTOGRAPHS Taken by Claire Dempsey, November 2003 2. Front façade.

Barn Rear façade Interior Views of the Bradford House, Kingston, Plymouth, MA Hall, southwest first floor room Hall chamber, southwest second floor room Interior Views of the Bradford House, Kingston, Plymouth, MA Bradford house front stair Bradford kitchen, north center room Interior Views of the Bradford House, Kingston, Plymouth, MA Bradford parlor, southeast first floor room Bradford parlor chamber, southeast second floor room Historic Views of the Bradford House, Kingston, Plymouth, MA Undated view of Bradford house and vicinity, probably nineteenth century Archacological investigations of the Bradford house, 1972.

POOTOF BED RAAELU 2571 ALL WALLS OF WOOO PRAME IXPOSED 7/371 voul - SOUTH WEST BED RU- -SOUTH EAST BEO RM- ABOUT 1715 PASTER WALLS -15+ 20t20jt70hiog - SECOND FLOOR PLAN - BED ROOM CHILINGC DANOO WIOTX WOOO SOLRO 3021 250j D17 28XG-5* :43; 124c. .70,0+ BEDROOI HLIGHT 6'3 SOUTH EAST FRONT RM. ADOLD PRODABL A DOVT 17 roser +50; 661 422° HALIHUATE COA2"" - FIRST FLOOR PLAN - 91331319399° Bnteoreenl First and Second Floor Plans of the Bradford House Detail of drawings prepared by the Historic American Building Survey in the 1930s (Survey no. 2-78, MASS 12-King).

JNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOI JATIONAL PARK SERVICI NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Bradford House NAME: MULTIPLE NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Plymouth DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 1/31/06 3/04/06 REFERENCE NUMBER: 06000128 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 2/17/06 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 3/16/06 REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N REQUEST: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: PERIOD: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: SAMPLE : N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: COMMENT WAIVER: VACCEPT RETURN REJECT 3.15-06 DATE ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY COMMENTS: Bntered in tho Vatlonel Bogisos. RECOM./CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE TELEPHONE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N If a nomination is returned to the nominating authority, the nomination is no longer under consideration by the NPS.

The Bradford House Kingston ma Photo CWDempseu November 2003 photo #1 The barn at the Bradford House Kingston, mt Photo CWDempsey november 7003 pluto #2 north elevation of the Bradford House. Kingston mA Photo CwDempsey November 2005 photo #3 RECEIVED 2280 JAN 3 T 2006 MAT RERTOIER PARISTORGPLACES The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission January 9, 2006 Dr. John Roberts, Acting Chief National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service 1201 Eye Street, NW, 8" floor Washington, DC 20005 Dear Dr. Roberts: Enclosed please find the following nomination form: Bradford House, 50 Landing Road, Kingston (Plymouth), MA The nomination has been voted eligible by the State Review Board and has been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer.

The owners of the property were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 30 to 45 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, sgdey Fuedierg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission enclosure CC: Claire Dempsey, consultant Craig Dalton, Kingston Historical Commission Paul Gallagher, Chair, Kingston Board of Selectmen Norman Tucker, Jones River Village Historical Society Thomas Bouchard, Kingston Planning Board 220 Morrissey Boulevard.

Boston, Massachusetts 02125 (617) 727-8470 - Fax: (617) 727-5128 www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION PROPERTY Bradford House NAME: MULTIPLE NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Plymouth 10/28/11 DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: DATE OF PENDING LIST: DATE OF 45TH DAY: REFERENCE NUMBER: 06000128 12/13/11 REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: OTHER: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: PERIOD: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT DATE ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY COMMENTS : Additional Documentation Approved RECOM./CRITERI. REVIEWER eiy leggat DISCIPLINE TELEPHONE DATE Hisl.

12.9.11 DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N If a nomination is returned to the nominating authority, the nomination is no longer under consideration by the NPS. 060 MB Approval No. 1024-001 NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service RECEIVED 2280 OCT 28 2011 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 10 Page 1 NAT. REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Bradford House NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Kingston (Plymouth), MA The coordinates originally provided for the Bradford House were 19 357180 4649660. The correct location is 0.63 miles (1000 m) due North of this point at 19 357180 4650660 (North American Datum 1927). Corrected March 2009 RECEIVED 2280 SASE PETIT CPLACIUAN SIHS LIBEAVATD DUTET OCT 2 8 2011 NAT.

REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES The Commonwealth of Massachusetts NATIONAL PARK SERVICE William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission October 20, 2011 Mr. J. Paul Loether National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service 1201 Eye Street, NW 8th floor Washington, DC 20005 Dear Mr. Loether: Re: Additional Documentation (Technical corrections of UTMs) In the process of mapping National Register nominations for our GIS database, we have identified errors in UTM coordinates for 23 properties. The errors vary from a few hundred feet to hundreds of miles, often due to transposition of numbers. As recommended by Edson Beall, we are enclosing a continuation sheet for each of the nominations. Please let me know if you need more information in order to correct your records.

Sincerely, Betey tredleg Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission Enclosures 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 (617) 727-8470 - Fax: (617) 727-5128 www.state.maus/sec/mhc