Eleazer Arnold House
Encyclopedia
The Eleazer Arnold House is a historic house built for Eleazor Arnold in about 1693, and located at 487 Great Road, Lincoln, Rhode Island
in the Great Road Historic District
. It is now a National Historic Landmark
owned by Historic New England
, and open to public two afternoons per year.
The house is a relatively large "stone-ender," a building type brought from the western part of England
and used most commonly in northern Rhode Island. This geographic-specific aspect may have been due to the attribution of the work to John Smith "the Mason" of Smithfield, Rhode Island
and his family. It was built two stories in height, with four rooms on each floor, a lean-to, exposed fieldstone
end-walls, wooden side-walls, and a pilastered chimney
. By the 20th century, a gable had been added to the structure.
In 1919 the house was donated to Historic New England
(then the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities) by Preserved Whipple Arnold. It has since undergone two phases of restoration. In 1920 the first stabilization efforts were led by Norman Isham
; and in 1950 the house and chimney received a thorough structural rehabilitation. In this second restoration, later alterations were removed to return the building to its 17th century appearance.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1968.
Today the building closely resembles its form during the early settlement in Rhode Island, though some details, including the leaded glass windows and the front door and its surround, are 20th century replacements.
It is located on State Route 123 near its junction with State Route 126.
Lincoln, Rhode Island
Lincoln is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 21,105 at the 2010 census. Lincoln is located in northeastern Rhode Island, north of Providence....
in the Great Road Historic District
Great Road Historic District
The Great Road Historic District is a historic district in northern Rhode Island and Rhode Island's oldest highway, dating back to 1683. It sits on the east side of the Blackstone River, site of some of America's earliest industry, such as nearby Slater Mill...
. It is now a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
owned by Historic New England
Historic New England
Historic New England, previously known as the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities , is a charitable, non-profit, historic preservation organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It is focused on New England and is the oldest and largest regional preservation...
, and open to public two afternoons per year.
The house is a relatively large "stone-ender," a building type brought from the western part of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and used most commonly in northern Rhode Island. This geographic-specific aspect may have been due to the attribution of the work to John Smith "the Mason" of Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville...
and his family. It was built two stories in height, with four rooms on each floor, a lean-to, exposed fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...
end-walls, wooden side-walls, and a pilastered chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
. By the 20th century, a gable had been added to the structure.
In 1919 the house was donated to Historic New England
Historic New England
Historic New England, previously known as the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities , is a charitable, non-profit, historic preservation organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It is focused on New England and is the oldest and largest regional preservation...
(then the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities) by Preserved Whipple Arnold. It has since undergone two phases of restoration. In 1920 the first stabilization efforts were led by Norman Isham
Norman Isham
Norman Morrison Isham was a prominent architectural historian, restorationist, author, and professor at Brown University and RISD.-Biography:...
; and in 1950 the house and chimney received a thorough structural rehabilitation. In this second restoration, later alterations were removed to return the building to its 17th century appearance.
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1968.
Today the building closely resembles its form during the early settlement in Rhode Island, though some details, including the leaded glass windows and the front door and its surround, are 20th century replacements.
It is located on State Route 123 near its junction with State Route 126.
See also
- Historic New EnglandHistoric New EnglandHistoric New England, previously known as the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities , is a charitable, non-profit, historic preservation organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It is focused on New England and is the oldest and largest regional preservation...
- Clemence-Irons HouseClemence-Irons HouseThe Clemence-Irons House is an historic residential home in Johnston, Rhode Island, USA. It was built by Richard Clemence in 1691 and is a rare surviving example of a "stone ender," a once common building type first developed in the western part of England. The structure is on the U.S...
, another nearby Rhode Island stone-ender - List of Registered Historic Places in Rhode Island
External links
- Eleazer Arnold House, Great Road, Lincoln, Providence County, RI: 8 photos, and supplemental material, at Historic American Building Survey
- Video of House