The Hosmer House, a saltbox style building, is something of a unique structure. The original portion built in 1760 has gunstock corner posts. By 1796, when the addition was constructed, they were no longer popular. The original 1760 fireplace has an interior beehive oven located on the left whereas the 1796 fireplace has an oven to the right, more appropriate for the times. There is another oven on the left also with a separate flue likely constructed at a later date. The whole fireplace rests on a massive foundation which extends to the front of the house.

The Hosmer’s were an early Acton family, serving the town from its beginning. Jonathan Hosmer (1712-1775) was a selectman and town clerk for many years as well as one of the first Deacons of Acton’s church. Jonathan Hosmer (1734-1822), like his father, was a brick mason and farmer. Jonathan married Submit Hunt (1737-1812) in 1760 and built the Hosmer House. Seven children were born to the family of Jonathan and Submit Hosmer. Their eldest, Jonathan, died in service in Bennington in 1777. (His younger brother, Abner, was killed at the North Bridge in Concord, April 19, 1775.) In addition to the large family, from at least the time of the 1790 census, Quartus, a “Black man” according to his death record and a non-white free person according to census records, lived in the house until he died in 1827.

The Hosmer House has many more surprises . Please come and see for yourself and visit https://www.actonhistoricalsociety.org/history.html

Photo courtesy of the Acton 250 Committee