Natick Minutemen

Houses of the Revolution: by Christopher Forest

Although the first, true Natick Minutemen are best remembered in heroic tales and historic accounts of the American Revolution, their lasting legacy and the role they played in the development of this town can be still seen to this day. Thoughout the town of Natick, several Revolutionary War era houses still stand, as a testimony of the courageous men and women who served this country during the time of its first great crisis.

To take but a trip, even a car ride by these houses, is to be reminded of another era. In tribute to these men and women, listed below are some of the houses still standing that our forefathers once called home. Although descendents do not necessarily live in these houses, the homes can be seen today, some of them nearly in the same condition they were when their first owners first built them.

NATHAN STONE HOUSE - Hartford Street, Natick Mass. (Don't miss the Boston Mile Marker that indicates 18 miles to Boston by way of the Hartford Road)

JOSEPH TRAVIS HOUSE - Hartford Street, Natick. Built c. 1733. Homesite of an early patriot and original Natick Minuteman.,His son Daniel was accidentally killed while doing minor repairs on his house in the 1810s. The ridgepole in the house is one piece of lumber.

JOSHUA WASHBURN HOUSE - At the Corner of Pond and Point Street, Natick. This house was built by the patriot after the Revolution, in 1790. He later drowned in nearby Dug Pond.

JOHN FELCH HOUSE - North Main Street, Natick. It is a brown house near the Wayland town line, clearly marked. This is the house owned by one of Natick's captains who served in several battles in New York and died at the Battle of White Plains, in 1776.

STEPHEN BACON HOUSE - North Main Street, Natick. Now known as Mitchell's Funeral Home, the Stephen Bacon house served as one of the major meeting places of Natick's earliest milita. Committee of Correspondence meetings, where patriots outlined their earliest plans to seek freedom from England, were supposedly held there. Lt. John Bacon, who died in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775 at the Jason Russel Farm in Menotomy, was born here. The house was built in 1704 and shortly after, was home to the first public school classes held in Natick.

ROBERT JENNISON HOUSE - Frost Street, Natick. Built in 1738, this is the best-preserved house from the Revolutionary era. It has been fully restored to its original state, commemorating Robert Jennison, who built many of the garrison style houses in Natick, Sherborn, and Sudbury. This well cared-for home is pictured at above right, and is the occasional site of Natick Minuteman Company events.

SAMUEL MORSE HOUSE - Eliot Street, Natick. Tucked far from the road, the Samuel Morse house, built in the early 1700s, was a common site for visitors to stop during the founding days of our nation's independence.

PELLETIAH MORSE HOUSE - Eliot Street. Almost next to the Joseph Morse house, the Pelletiah Morse house was a common meeting place for local patriots - mainly because it served as the town's main tavern. The house was used as a jail for prisoners taken during the Lexington Alarm and for at least one escaped slave.

JOSEPH MORSE HOUSE - Eliot Street, Natick. The home of the first Captain of the Natick Minutemen, this house stands today where it houses Douglas Jenkin's Antique Shoppe. It is preserved in much the same manner that it originally looked.

THOMAS SAWIN HOUSE - South Street, Natick. The Sawin house is the oldest house still standing in Natick. Consisting originally of a cottage built in 1696, the house has been added to several times, including a significant addition built in 1791. The house was the home of several members of the Sawin family who served the Natick militia and was the first stop of a young lady named Abigail Smith (who was also a Sawin relative) who sent the alarm of April 19. The house has been restored, including old solid beams that form the outline of the cellar stairs.

The Natick Militia Cos. can be reached at kaltofen@aol.com.