The Ward family owned the property for two hundred years, during which time at least six generations were involved with the house. They built it, expanded it, maintained it, cherished it, and most importantly lived their lives within its walls.
The Wards were farmers, librarians, soldiers, grocers, authors, politicians, quilters, speculators, and advertisers, but they were also a family with many connections. As the nation expanded, so did the Wards’ role in history. Many people, both local and distant, were affiliated with the family over the years. Friends, enemies, and even loose acquaintances made their presence known at the house and in the letters and journals the Wards wrote.
Items that came from greater New England and the wider World filled the Ward family home, linking this one family to other important groups and people in American history. The framed French epaulet, the Native American snowshoes, and the farmhands sleeping in the garret, were a normal part of life on the farm. The house can serve as a window into these peoples’ lives, as well.