Fairbanks House is the country's oldest timber frame house in North America. Tree-ring dating has proved that the house was built sometime in late 1639 or early 1640. The house was built for a family of immigrants named Johathan & Gracie Fairebanke and their six children from Yorkshire, England. An excellent place to learn about this particular facet of history, the Fairbanks House is open to the public for tours from May to October.
The Society, a wealth of information about Braintree history and U.S. military history in particular, was founded in 1930 as a non-profit dedicated to the care, preservation and communication of the town's history. Its offices are located at the Gilbert Bean Museum & Research Center off Washington St. behind the fire department headquarters. The research library downstairs in the museum is filled with artifacts, documents and photos from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. There is an especially deep trove of weapons and documents from World War I and II. Upstairs is a museum shop and a Civil War exhibit.
The Sylvanus Thayer House is on the same property as the Gilbert Bean Museum and showcases 18th-century farming life through the lens of General Thayer, the father of West Point, who was born in the house in 1785. The Thayer House and the Gilbert Bean Museum both offer open admission on certain days, as well as guided tours.
Contact the society for information about membership or to schedule a research session in the library.
The Otis House was built in 1796 for Harrison Gray Otis, who would go on to become congressman from Massachusetts, mayor of Boston and one of the wealthiest Bostonians of the time. A U.S. National Historic Landmark, the house is now a museum, having been restored with careful attention to historical accuracy by the Historic New England organization. Museum visitors learn about the Otis family, life in Boston at the time and the history of the house from its beginning to today. Tours start every half hour and last approximately 45 minutes.
The Mary Baker Eddy Historic House is maintained in commemoration of the original founder and leader of the Christian Science religion. The property is owned by Longyear Museum of Chestnut Hill, an institution dedicated to preserving and furthering the understanding of Mary Baker Eddy's work. She lived in this house from 1865 to 1866.
The Loring-Greenough House is a historic home built in 1760 by Commodore Joshua Loring. The house was used as a Patriot hospital during the Battle of Bunker Hill. The home remains a historic community site that has been preserved by the Jamaica Plain Tuesday Club. It is open for residents and tourists to visit and rent and it hosts various events.