Claflin-Richards House

The Claflin-Richards House is situated in the center of Wenham on approxi- mately one-halt acre of land and is surrounded by lawns and planting enclosed by a white picket fence. Set with the northwest gable end to the street and the front entrance facade facing southwest, it stands well back from the main road (Rte. 1A). The house property is flanked on the southwest by an extensively landscaped private home and on the northeast by the Wenham Twon Hall (1853). The property faces the remnant of the old Town Green beyond which are three fine clapboard structures: the Wenham Tea House (1913), the Hobbs House (17th century, added to in 18th century) and the First Congregational Church (1842). This town center is the focal point of Wenham's recently established Historic District.

The 2 1/2 story Claflin-Richards House is a four-room, center chimney dwelling with a late (1925) salt-box addition on the rear half of the northeast side. the house when built in 1661 consisted of two rooms and attic with the large chimney on the rear, southeast facade. It was enlarged to the present four rooms in 1673 by the town for the use of the new minister, Reverend Joseph Gerrish. Its exterior is now brown stained clapboard but in 1661 it may have been covered by the 1" thick pine planks ranging from 14" to 25" in width which were fitted vertically into grooves in the ground sills and second story girts. These planks were discovered during the 1925 restoration and have been removed. At the second story the same vertical planking remains today under the present clapboards.

The high and steep shingled pitch roof, extending from northwest to southeast, is interrupted on the front half of its southwest slope by a typical 17th century gable.

The Claflin-Richards House is the oldest house on Main Street, Wenham, and is perhaps the oldest in the town. For over 250 years this house has escaped fire and decay and has survived improvements. It has been continuously occupied from at least as early as 1661, with a long ownership by ministers, schoolmasters, doctors, and men of importance in civil and military matters. In 1642 Samuel Smith and John Fiske gave to the Town of Wenham, out of their grants, 10 acres each on either side of the Meeting House to be divided into two-acre lots for the encouragement of tradespeople to come to the town. In 1661 Robert MacClaflin was granted two acres of this land at the same time he was accepted as a'townsman.

It is not known whether he built the house or whether it was already standing on his land. MacClaflin and his family lived in the house for approximately ten years. In 1672 the town of Wenham exchanged with MacClaflin his house and land for property elsewhere in Wenham. Robert MacClaflin, a Scot, was captured at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650 and sold into indenture to the master of the Iron Undertaking at Saugus before coming to Wenham. MacClaflin served under Sir Edmund Andros and his eldest son, Robert, died fighting under Sir William Phips in 1690. He was a surveyor for the town and owned a bark mill, tan vat and brick yard before his death c. 1690. The "Mac" was dropped from the name shortly after 1700 by his children.

Among his eminent descendants was Lee Claflin, a member of the Massachusetts Senate in 1868 and founder of the first coeducational college for black students, Claflin University, Orangeburg, South Carolina.