Gerry, Elbridge, House

Built by Thomas Gerry about 1730, the Elbridge Gerry House remained in the possession of the Gerry family until 1820. Architectural evidence strongly suggests that the house, from 1730 to about 1820, was a two-story I-shaped Georgian frame structure. About 1820 the new owner appears to have raised the house to its present three story height by elevating the original two story residence and inserting under it the existing first story- The original interior finish of the first story is definitely and entirely 19th century, while the original panelling on the walls of the second story rooms is clearly of the 18th century. The Elbridge Gerry House (in its final and present form) is a three-story I-shaped frame house with clapboarded walls and hip roof.

The long (north) arm fronts on the street and is five bays wide and one bay deep; the short (west) arm, which extends to the south, is two bays wide and four bays deep. On the rear of the short arm there is a one-story service wing which contains the kitchen. Two fluted columns support a porch over the center entrance.. The doorway has a transom and sidelights and is reached by a short flight of granite steps. The house is set on a high granite foundation, about four feet back from the street. The house has a center hall plan, with the hall extending through the midale of the long arm from front to rear. The stairs are located on the right (west) wall of the hall. The east parlor occupies the entire portion of the house to the left of the center hall.

The original 19th century man- tel and fireplace are set in the center of the south (rear) wall and are flanked by arched alcoves.

The Elbridge Gerry House was the birthplace and home, 1744- 1787, of Elbridge Gerry, a Signer of the Declaration of Independence for Massachusetts, merchant, politician, diplomat, Governor of Massachusetts and Vice President of the United States. Elbridge Gerry was born at Marblehead on July 17, 1744, the son of a mer- chant and sea captain. In May, 1772 Gerry was elected representative to the Massachusetts General Court where he met Samuel Adams and fell completely under his influence. He resigned from the General Court in disgust over a mob action in early 1774. He quickly returned to public life and was a mem- ber of the provincial congresses from 1774 to 1776; he also served on the executive committee of safety.

From 1776 to 1780 Gerry was an active delegate to the Continental Con- gresses- He was an early advocate of independence and was present on July 4, 1776, but left Philadelphia before the engrossed copy of the Declaration had been signed. He actually signed the document himself after his return to Congress on September 3. He also signed the Articles of Confederation and was a member of the Treasury Board from 1776 to 1779. In 1780, after a serious quarrel with Congress, Gerry returned to Boston and absented himself from Congress for over three years. During this period he engaged success- fully in trade and privateering. He returned to Congress in 1783 and served there until November, 1785. Early in 1786 he took his seat in the Massachu- House of Representatives.

In May, 1787 he purchased a confiscated Loyalist estate in Cambridge, later the "Elmwood" of James Russell Lowell, which Gerry made his home. refused to attend the Annapolis Convention of 1786 but accepted the appoint- ment to the Federal Convention of 1787.