Erected in 1994 by the Medford Historical Society, the “Grandfather’s House” historical marker commemorates the house made famous in the song “Over the River and Through the Woods”  from Lydia Maria Child’s poem, “A Boy’s Thanksgiving Day,” which first appeared in Child’s Flowers for Children, Vol. 2, 1844.

In her youth Child would travel here from her home on the other side of the Mystic River to visit her grandparents in a small farmhouse constructed in the early 1800s. This structure was enlarged by shipbuilder Paul Curtis around 1839 and is a classic example of Greek Revival Architecture.

The plaque reads:

“GRANDFATHER’S HOUSE”

IN 1844 LYDIA MARIA CHILD (1802 -1880) WROTE OF HER CHILDHOOD VISITS TO HER GRANDFATHER’S HOUSE AT 114 SOUTH STREET IN THE POEM “OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS” FROM HER HOME AT THE CORNER OF ASHLAND AND SALEM STREETS.

THE REAR PORTION OF “GRANDFATHER’S HOUSE” WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE EARLY 1800’S AS A SMALL FARMHOUSE. ABOUT 1839 IT WAS ENLARGED BY PAUL CURTIS WHO ESTABLISHED A SHIPYARD ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE MYSTIC RIVER AT THE FOOT OF WINTHROP STREET.  BETWEEN 1839 AND 1852 CURTIS BUILT 27 VESSELS, INCLUDING SEVERAL WORLD-FAMOUS CLIPPER SHIPS.

THE IONIC DETAILING AND THE “TEMPLE” FRONT OF THE HOUSE MARK IT AS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF GREEK REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE. LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, THE HOUSE WAS PURCHASED IN 1976 AND RESTORED BY  TUFTS UNIVERSITY.

SOUTH STREET, LAID OUT IN 1637 AND VARIOUSLY KNOWN AS “FORDWAY” AND “FISH HOUSE LANE”, IS ONE OF THE OLDEST STREETS IN MEDFORD.

MEDFORD HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1994

Photo courtesy of Alex Ruppenthal/WickedLocal