John Goddard House

The John Goddard House is a historic house at 235 Goddard Avenue in Brookline, Massachusetts, US. The two-story wood-frame house was built in 1767 by John Goddard, a farmer. It is one of the few 18th-century houses in Brookline, important for the role it and its owner played in the American Revolutionary War during the Siege of Boston in 1776.[2] The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[1]

John Goddard House
Location235 Goddard Ave., Brookline, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°18′54″N 71°8′11″W
Built1767
Architectural styleGeorgian
MPSBrookline MRA
NRHP reference No.85003270 [1]
Added to NRHPOctober 17, 1985

Description and history

The Goddard House is set on the north side of Goddard Avenue, opposite the northern border of Larz Anderson Park in southeastern Brookline. It is a roughly square wood-frame house, with a hip roof, central chimney, and a three-bay facade with a projecting gabled vestibule. The interior retains period fixtures, including wall paneling, doors, and hardware.[2]

The house was built in 1767 by John Goddard on land originally purchased by his grandfather Joseph. Goddard, a teamster, was active in local civic affairs, notably serving in the Massachusetts Provincial Congress prior to the American Revolutionary War in 1775. Goddard's property was one of several places in Massachusetts used by rebellious colonists for the storage of munitions (probably in the barn, since demolished). During the Siege of Boston, Goddard acted as wagon-master to the Continental Army during the Fortification of Dorchester Heights, a nighttime act that required the wagons to be rendered as quiet as possible to avoid notice. Goddard refused George Washington's offer of continued service in the military effort.[2]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "NRHP nomination for John Goddard House". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
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