Travel Back in Time: Fairbanks House

on East Street is a historic treasure of Dedham, dating back to the 17th century.

"It’s the oldest timber frame house in North America circa 1637 to 1641," said Lee Anne Hodson, the business operations manager of the Fairbanks House.

John Larson, a docent of the Fairbanks House, said that there had been some question to whether or not it was the oldest standing timber frame house, but after testing it was deemed to be so.

Larson and his wife Jean are both docents to The Fairbanks House. Their job is to guide tours through the house, and to further the understanding of the historic and cultural aspects of the house to any interested. There are thirteen total docents at the Fairbanks House, and they are all volunteers.

According to the Fairbanks House website, "the oak summer beam (one of the main structural beams) in the 'hall' or kitchen has been dated by dendrochronology (tree ring dating) as having been cut in the winter of 1637-38. In the 17th century, timber was not seasoned before it was used, so this suggests that work on the house’s construction began around 1637-38."

The house was built for Jonathan and Grace Fairbanks, who were Puritan immigrants form Yorkshire.

"Eight generations of Fairbanks lived in this house. The museum itself has been owned and operated by the Fairbanks Family in America since 1903," said Hodson.

Jonathon and Grace Fairbanks were established wool merchants before traveling to the U.S. in 1637 and starting anew in a strange land.

"They had to start all over again," said Jean Larson. "They had to learn how to survive on new land, because this was all new country that was just being established."

Jean went on to say that the Fairbanks had spinning wheels, and used their skills to barter with their neighbors to get what they needed to survive. When their neighbors needed cloth, they would spin lamb’s wool to make linen. They also used flax for this same purpose.

"They would cut it, dry it, soak it, and then they would separate it into manageable little stocks, and eventually it would be fine enough for them to weave it into a thread. From the thread they would make linen, which is a nicer material," said Jean Larson.

To this day, the Fairbanks Family in America, Inc. has around 1300 members worldwide.

"They’re in England, the Bahamas, and there are many in Canada," said Hodson, who also added that there are members in France and the Philippines.

Hodson explained that visitors to the Fairbanks House come from all over the world. "We have history buffs, architectural historians, many families - some Fairbanks, some not. This morning I had a women here from Saudi Arabia," said Hodson.

The preservation of this building is beyond impressive, and maintains the old-fashioned feel of a 17th century home. The house still has no running water, and has very limited electricity with only one plug. 

"It’s like a step back in time," said Jean Larson.

"You’re walking back into the area that it was built," added Hodson. "It’s spectacular, and the Fairbanks Family in America has worked so hard to maintain the historical integrity of the building. It’s amazing. They are very dedicated people."

A Walking Tour

The original house had four rooms, two on the first floor and two on the second floor. All of the rooms revolved around a giant brick chimney in the center of the house that reaches up to the attic above above.

When walking into the house, the room on the right would have been considered the parlor. A corner of this room has been converted to a small gift shop including coffee mugs, sweatshirts, tote bags, shot glasses, and more. The other walls are decorated with old photographs, paintings, and ceramics, all of which have belonged to members of the Fairbanks Family over the years and have been passed down through the generations.

To the left was the kitchen area (referred to as "hall" back in those days) decorated with more ceramics, an old fashioned rotisserie, and a foot warmer.

Over time, additions were made to the house including a room for housing farm tools, wood working, and cheese making. 

Handed Down

After Jonathon Fairbanks’ death, the house was passed to his oldest son John, and then later was passed down to his two sons Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph and Benjamin then divided the property, and the house was given to Joseph.

When Joseph died in 1734, his son Joseph took over, who then handed the house down to his son, whose name was, you guessed it, Joseph. Soon after, the latest Joseph sold the house to his brothers John, Israel, Samuel and Ebenezer in 1755. Ebenezer eventually bought the rest of the house from his brothers and lived there until he died in 1812. The house was then passed down to Ebenezer Jr.

Ebenezer Jr. died in 1832, and the Fairbanks house was passed to his wife Mary. When she passed in 1843, the house was handed to her three daughters, Prudence, Sally, and Nancy. In 1879, the year of Nancy’s death, the house was left to her niece, Rebecca. She lived there until 1904.

According to the Fairbanks House website, following Rebecca Fairbanks' departure, the family turned the house into a museum.

The Fairbanks Family in America, Inc. has helped support operations through membership dues and tours.

Tours of the Fairbanks House are available hourly from May 1 to Oct. 31, Tuesdays - Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

"Last year we had about two thousand people come through," said Hodson.

On Aug. 13, the Fairbanks Family will celebrate their 109th family reunion at the Fairbanks House. On Aug. 14, there will be a free exhibit of 17th century craftspeople held at at there as well.