Wakefield's Oldest House Has Revolutionary War Connection

In recent weeks, this website has been taking a look at some of the items up for sale on eBay that help illustrate Wakefield's history. This vintage image of Wakefield's Hartshorne House appears was taken sometime after 1933, according to its listing on eBay.

With today being Patriot's Day, it's a perfect day to look at a house that was already getting a little old by the time the American Revolution broke out in 1775. The Hartshorne House, which stands on Church Street on the shore of Lake Quannapowitt, was built around 1681.

More than a century later, the Hartshorne House website reports that the house was the possession of Dr. John Hart, a Revolutionary War doctor who was a close associate of George Washington. According to the history of the house, Dr. Hart actually lived on the corner of Main Street and Summer Street and purchased the Hartshorne House for investment purposes - expanding it and apparently even having a tavern there at some point. Dr. Hart owned the Hartshorne House between 1792 and 1802.

According , joining soon after the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 and remaining in the Army until soon after the war ended in 1783.

Patriot's Day marks the opening battle of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord. Check out this article from neighboring Lynnfield about the Minutemen who fought soon afterward at the nearby Battle of Menotomy in Arlington.

http://wakefield.patch.com/articles/history-revolutionary-war-doctor-john-hart#photo-9155789