The Beginning of the Bradford House

The Beginning of the Bradford House. . , The Beginning of the Bradford House, “How comes the house, not quite finished yet I suppose…” , Gershom Bradford aboard the brig Mercury, to his wife Sally, December 31, 1807., Sarah (Sally) Hickling Bradford supervised the initial construction stages of this house while her husband, Capt. Gershom Bradford, was held captive by the French. As a ship's captain, Gershom's absences frequently left Sally alone to care for their young family, and in 1808, she oversaw the financing and clearing of land for this house., The Bradfords chose a friend, Benjamin Bird of Dorchester, Massachusetts to construct their new home on ten acres of what had been part of a larger ninety acre farm owned by Gershom's parents. The Bradford family, descendants of the Pilgrims Governor William Bradford and John Alden, had been in the Duxbury area since 1627. The contract with Bird does not give many specifics but it was probably understood that the house would be built in the latest style, today called "Federal." The house was completed by the spring of 1809 at a cost of $2,200. Although it is not grand in size, it does feature elaborate trim work and interior decor and at its construction, the house even sported exterior brick ends., The house also accommodated a growing family that ultimately included four daughters, two foster sons, Sally's mother, and a continuous stream of visitors. The daughters, Maria, Elizabeth, Lucia and Charlotte, took ownership of the house after their parents' passing and continued the same legacy until their deaths in the 1890s., The Bradford House, along with its original 10 acre plot, was donated by the family to the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society in 1968. Today, the house's exhibitions are interpreted to tell the story of the Bradford daughters and their immense accomplishments during the 19th century. The Bradford House has always been a place where both people and ideas are welcome. , Captions: , Four generations of the Bradford family, ca. 1884., Original drawing for construction of house, ca. 1807., Bradford House , www.duxburyhistory.org , The Duxbury Rural and Historical Society