Museum presents tours of the White-Ellery House

The Cape Ann Historical Museum presents tours of the White-Ellery House, a rarely-shown First Period structure built c.1704 on Gloucester’s historic Town Green (now the Grant Circle rotary), on Saturday, August 4th.

Abbott Lowell Cummings, the authority on First Period New England Houses, will join the day’s activities at 12:00 noon. Cummings will speak about the significance of the White-Ellery House and be available to sign copies of his book The Framed Houses of Massachusetts Bay.

The White-Ellery House is one of a handful of surviving First Period buildings in Massachusetts. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites because of its design, materials, and workmanship, and its plank frame construction.

The house was built for the Reverend John White, Gloucester’s first settled minister, and exhibits an elegance and refinement commensurate with White’s esteemed position in the community. The second owner of the house was James Stevens, who kept it as a tavern until 1740, at which time it was sold to the Ellery family. In 1949, when plans were unveiled showing Route 128 traversing the Town Green, the house was taken by the City of Gloucester by eminent domain, turned over to the Cape Ann Historical Association, and moved safely out of the path of the highway.

Tours are free and open to the public. Reservations are required. Tours will be offered on the half hour from 9:00am’11:30am and 1:00pm’3:00pm. Please call the Cape Ann Historical Museum at (978) 283-0455.

The museum is located at 27 Pleasant Street in Gloucester. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10:00am’5:00pm, and Sunday from 1:00pm’4:00pm. Admission to the museum is $6.50 adults; $6.00 seniors; and $4.50 students. For additional information please visit www.capeannhistoricalmuseum.org.