Historic Home free and open to the public for 17th Century Saturdays
The Cape Ann Museum, which owns and operates this historic property, will open the White-Ellery House on Saturday, August 1 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Museum docents and staff will be on hand to educate the public about the unique house and its history. The house is located at 245 Washington Street at the corner of Poplar Street in Gloucester and is open to the public at no charge on the first Saturday of the month from May through October as part of Escapes North 17th Century Saturdays. Parking is available off Poplar Street in the field behind the house.
The White-Ellery House was built in 1710 and is one of just a handful of First Period houses in Eastern Massachusetts that survives to this day. Unlike other structures of this period, the largely unfurnished house has had very few interior alterations over the years. Stepping inside today, visitors enter much the same house they would have 300 years ago.
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Ed Note- I was looking for a photo to go with this post for the Cape Ann Museum and found all photos through a Google image search. What history lies behind these walls!
Good Morning Gloucester 
Notice April, 1749, for Capt. William Ellery’s run away slave, Cesar, who speaks good English and is “lost the little finger of his left hand and the next to it is a little crooked;” about 30 years old, and a most likely fellow. Had on when he went away a jacket with pewter buttons, an old pair of red cloth breeches, a pair of trousers, black stockings , and a pair of large brass shoe buckles. Seven pounds old Tenor Reward to bring him to his Master on Cape Ann .
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So interesting–thank you Lise!
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I sure would love to have seen Gloucester in 1850 — but I’ll bet the winters were pretty nippy even inside, with seaweed for insulation and a drafty fireplace for heat. Thanks for the old photos, Kim.
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Many to chose from on google image search. Yes, that is time I too would have loved to have seen Gloucester– especially from about 1830 to 1930–although I think all our history pretty interesting!
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Thanks Kim Great history and Bill hit it on the installation or lack of (Frosty for sure many rooms closed off and stayed close to the heat source! 🙂 Dave * Kim 🙂
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I grew up in Riverdale Park and would as a child walk to the Ellery House and hang out and imagine how life was back then. Great history our city has and it is so sad when we tear it down.
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