The Peter Tufts House, at times referred to as the Cradock House, was built circa 1678. One of the few brick houses built in New England during the 17th century, it is considered a transitional structure with features from both the medieval and Georgian styles. It is one of the oldest brick houses in the United States.

Peter Tufts, Sr. was born in England in 1617 and arrived in America about 1640, settling in Malden, Massachusetts. In 1677, he purchased land in nearby Medford from the former estate of Matthew Cradock, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Company. Tufts had three sons and six daughters. His eldest son, Captain Peter Tufts, built the house and lived there with his family of seven sons and seven daughters. Shortly before Captain Tufts’s death, he conveyed half of the house to his son, Peter, and his heirs. The tradition of dividing the house into two parts was practiced by Tufts and a later owner, Ebenezer Cutter who in 1750 set off the west end to his widow and the easterly end to his eldest son. While the house has undergone some restoration, it remains essentially as it was built.

The Peter Tufts House was saved from demolition in the early 1900s by William Sumner Appleton, who purchased it with private donations and transferred ownership to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (now Historic New England). In 1982, the Medford Historical Society bought the house and held it until 2018 when it was sold to a private owner. City officials approved historic preservation restrictions for the property, including preapproval by Historic New England for certain improvements. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968.

Please note that this property is a private residence and is not open to the public.

Photo courtesy of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage