“The lines are fallen unto [us] in pleasant places;
yea, [we] have a goodly heritage.”
— PSALM 16
House museums are windows on the past. They are tangible links to America’s history and allow us to walk where our predecessors walked, to see the objects they touched, the books they read, and the interiors, gardens, and landscapes they saw.
More than one hundred historic houses are described in this guide. All are within the six states that make up New England. They date from the early seventeenth century to the threshold of our time, and the architectural styles reflect those which were popular over a period of four centuries. The homes of leaders and literati, merchants and millionaires, poets and Pilgrims, philosophers and farmers, seafarers and Shakers: These sites are crucial pieces of American history.
Each chapter lists the museum’s location, web address, and telephone number. As operating schedules often change from season to season and from year to year, and as admission fees can be ephemeral, they are not included here. Readers are encouraged to contact the house museum in advance of their visit for up-to-date visiting information.
It is my sincere hope that this guide will lead you, the reader, to townhouses, homesteads, mansions, farms, and castles which will be your windows on New England’s past and our “goodly heritage.”