Norwell in Plymouth County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
Jacobs Homestead Property History
Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, October 16, 2026
1. Jacobs Homestead Property History Marker
The Joshua Jacobs Farmstead consists of domestic buildings, agricultural outbuildings, and fields —- a rare surviving example of a historic farm.
David Jacob, the first member of the family to move to this area, had a mill in the Greenbush section of Scituate. David and his two sons, Joshua and Joseph, built the first dam on this site in the mid-1720s. The remnants of the grist and saw mills can still be seen across Main Street near the entrance to the current athletic field complex.
For tens of thousands of years, the Native Americans living in this area referred to Third Herring Brook as "Assinippi" (meaning "rocky water" in the Algonquian language). The Jacobs family harnessed the power of the brook with their dam and created what is known today as Jacobs Pond.
Appreciating the value of the timber on the surrounding land, the family bought over 200 acres in the area. Around 1726, Joshua built a home on the shores of the pond, the double-doored portion of the Jacobs Farmhouse. Around 1840 a second structure was added to the house, and over many years additional rooms were added to the back of the home as
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Seven generations of the Jacobs family (whose name evolved from Jacob to Jacobs) lived at this farmstead and maintained the property for three centuries, earning income and farming the land.
In 1896, the Jacobs Farmstead passed to Dr. Henry Barton Jacobs (1858-1939). Having no children, he left the house to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) upon his death.
The Town of Norwell purchased the entire property —- the fields, the buildings, and the pond —- in the 1980s from SPNEA (now known as Historic New England) with the stipulation that the property be properly maintained by the Town and open to the public forever.
For more information on the history of this property, scan the QR code at right.
(image captions)
1. The Jacobs Farmhouse, chicken coop and East Barn in a picture from the early 1900s.
2. The Jacobs Mills (photograph circa 1900). Located across the street from Jacobs Pond, this picture was taken from the edge of the Accord cemetery looking toward Norwell.
Erected 2026 by Town of Norwell.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:
Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, October 16, 2026
2. Jacobs Homestead Property History Marker
Location. 42° 9.697′ N, 70° 50.704′ W. Marker is in Norwell, Massachusetts, in Plymouth County. It is at the intersection of Jacobs Lane and Laura’s Lane, on the left when traveling west on Jacobs Lane. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Norwell MA 02061, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the South Shore. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Jacobs Pond (within shouting distance of this marker); Nathan Cushing (approx. 2 miles away); The “Columbia” (approx. 2.7 miles away); General History (approx. 3.8 miles away); US Military History (approx. 3.9 miles away); Hingham Second Parish Church
Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, October 16, 2026
3. Jacobs Farmhouse and Jacobs Mills
Also see . . .
1. Welcome to the Jacobs Farmstead Property.
For thousands of years, the land that makes up what is today Norwell was inhabited by indigenous people. These natives grew crops, foraged, hunted, and fished in this — the Assinippi area - and around the North River.(Submitted on October 16, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts.)
2. Jacobs Pond and Valley Swamp Trail Map.
Map of the Jacobs Pond Conservation Area(Submitted on October 16, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts.)
3. Joshua Jacobs (1702-1784) - Find-a-Grave.
Joshua resided at Assinippi in the old Jacob’s homestead, east of the mill which his father had built for his sons when the General Court passed and Act of Incorporation for the new town of Hanover, ‘David Jacob’s saw mill dam’ was mentioned in it. Both grist and sawmills were erected, the grist mill on the westerly, and the sawmill on the easterly flume.(Submitted on October 16, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts.)
4. Cross Street Flower Farm.
Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, October 16, 2026
4. Jacobs Farmhouse (circa 1726) on Jacobs Lane
The farmhouse operates as Norwell Historical Museum seasonally and by appointment. Fresh-cut farm grown flowers and miscellaneous farm products are also for sale seasonally.
Our flower fields at the historic Jacobs Farm explode with color from early Spring through late fall. Our farm tells the story of the seasons through flowers, beginning with Tulips and Daffodils blooming in the fields in April, Ranunculus and Poppies in May, and Sweet Peas and Peonies in June.(Submitted on October 16, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts.)
5. Norwell Historical Society.
From tours of the Jacobs Farmhouse, to gatherings that bring together neighbors to learn about their local history, to historic talks and presentations for all ages--this is how we celebrate the history of our town, one historic event at a time. See our events page for more info.(Submitted on October 16, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts.)
6. Plimoth Grist Mill.
There is a restored working grist mill in nearby Plymouth where visitors can learn more about a grist mill like the one the Jacobs Family managed. At our reproduction of the Plymouth Colonists’ original 1636 grain mill on Town Brook, take a fascinating look at the mill’s history and workings, from the 200-year-old millstones grinding corn(Submitted on October 18, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts.)to the ecology of the brook that has powered mills throughout the centuries.Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, October 16, 20265. Jacobs Homestead Barn
Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, October 16, 2026
6. Jacob Homestead Property Fields
Credits. This page was last revised on October 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 16, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 16, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
