Grandfather's House
Encyclopedia
Grandfather's house, at 114 South Street, Medford
, Massachusetts
, is the original house named in the American
song "Over the River and through the Woods
". Some versions of the song mention Grandmother's house; it is unclear which is the correct phrase. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as the Paul Curtis House.
The rear portion of the modern house was built as a small farmhouse in the early 19th century. Lydia Maria Child (1802–1880) recalled the farmhouse when she wrote of her childhood visits to her grandmother's house in the poem "Over the River and through the Woods", published in 1844. The Mystic River
is the poem's river; most of the woods seem to have vanished long ago.
About 1839, Paul Curtis
greatly enlarged the house and gave it the two-story Ionic portico
. In 1975, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. In 1976, Tufts University
purchased and restored the house. It has served since as a residence for Tufts administration officials.
In the 19th century, ships were built across the street. A painting hung in the house shows a ship being built, with the house across the river, and Ballou Hall (the original Tufts building) on top of the hill in the distance, with no other development in between.
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, is the original house named in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
song "Over the River and through the Woods
Over the River and through the Woods
"Over the River and through the Woods" is a Thanksgiving song by Lydia Maria Child. Written originally as a poem, it appeared in her Flowers for Children, Volume 2, in 1844. The title of the poem is, "A Boy's Thanksgiving Day". It celebrates her childhood memories of visiting her Grandfather's House...
". Some versions of the song mention Grandmother's house; it is unclear which is the correct phrase. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as the Paul Curtis House.
The rear portion of the modern house was built as a small farmhouse in the early 19th century. Lydia Maria Child (1802–1880) recalled the farmhouse when she wrote of her childhood visits to her grandmother's house in the poem "Over the River and through the Woods", published in 1844. The Mystic River
Mystic River
The Mystic River is a river in Massachusetts, in the United States. Its name derives from the Wampanoag word "muhs-uhtuq", which translates to "big river." In an Algonquian language, "Missi-Tuk" means "a great river whose waters are driven by waves", alluding to the natural tidal nature of the...
is the poem's river; most of the woods seem to have vanished long ago.
About 1839, Paul Curtis
Paul Curtis (shipbuilder)
Paul Curtis was an American shipbuilder who built ships in Medford, Massachusetts .-Background:Shipbuilding was one of the two big businesses at Medford in the mid-19th century...
greatly enlarged the house and gave it the two-story Ionic portico
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
. In 1975, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. In 1976, Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
purchased and restored the house. It has served since as a residence for Tufts administration officials.
In the 19th century, ships were built across the street. A painting hung in the house shows a ship being built, with the house across the river, and Ballou Hall (the original Tufts building) on top of the hill in the distance, with no other development in between.