| National Register of Historic Places |
On January 24, 1990 the Massachusetts Historical Commission nominated the Peter Woodbury House for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The United States Department of the Interior National Park Service accepted the nomination and on March 10, 1990 it was recognized for it's architectural significance in the category of First Period Buildings of Eastern Massachusetts.
The following excerpts are from research done prior to review and acceptance...
Significance - The house retains integrity of location, materials, design, and workmanship in its surviving First-Period single-cell core. Removal of boxing on the ground floor is likely to reveal the rest of the decorated frame which will yield important information on late seventeenth century decoration. The paired transverse summer beams represent regional framing variation worthy of further study. The raised cove stops with pips are a particularly rare chamfer stop type found mainly in Essex county and worthy of preservation. The present configuration of the house is a good example of how First-Period single-cell houses grew in subsequent generations.
Exterior Description - The house is a two-and-a-half story clap boarded structure with an asymmetrical facade and two central chimneys, one protruding from each slope of the present roof. The First-Period core was a single cell, two-and-a-half story house. The room left of the chimney, the rear lean-to (later raised to full height) and rear chimney were added in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Major First-Period Features - The single cell First-Period core to the right of the chimney exhibits the paired transverse summer beams on molded posts typical of the Beverly-Salem-Danvers-Peabody region. Visible First-Period features on the second floor include elaborate stops and tend to confirm the c.1696-7 date. All framing members in the 17'6" x 19'6" first floor room, including the paired transverse summer beams, are boxed. The fireplaces are rebuilt and the walls are plastered. In a later stairwell leading to the cellar, the original rear wall of the first floor room, with the sell, brace, and brick nogging are visible.
The second floor chamber has exposed paired summer tie beams resting on story posts with molded heads. Both summers and posts have bevel chamfers with raised stops and pips.
Although the roof and attic have been completely rebuilt to cover the Second-Period rear additions, the rear of the original right end wall tie beam shows evidence of an original roof pitch of 45 degrees.
Historical Information - The house is associated with Peter Woodbury Jr., a deacon and active participant in town affairs. His son, Peter III, at age seventy-five responded to the alarm on April 19th, 1775 and marched to Concord, the exertion of which caused his death a month later. The house probably reached its present form under ownership of these two prominent figures.
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Peter Woodbury III was born on 20 Jun 1705 in Beverly, Essex, MA, was baptized on 24 Jun 1705 in Beverly, Essex, MA, and died on 14 May 1775 in No. Beverly, Essex Co., MA
Peter, bp. June 24, 1705, 1st Church Records, Beverly, MA
Essex Historical Collection Vol. #37; Pg. #365.
Peter, and Hannah Batchelder of Wenham, at Wenham, m. Mar. 19, 1730.* Beverly V.R. (Pg. #349).
Peter and Hannah were married by Rev Robert Ward of Wenham.
Peter went to assist Capt Caleb Dodge in the French and Indian War.
Peter originally lived on the homestead of Peter (3),(2); John (1). He moved to Amherst in 1754.
Peter (1705-1775) served as Sgt. and Minuteman in Capt Caleb Dodge's Company which marched on the Lexington Alarm. The Bronze tablet in the Historical Society Room bears his name. Born: Beverly, MA died: Beverly, MA
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