House tours display living history right here at home

By Scarlett Hoey

When you hear the phrase “living history,” what do you think of? Perhaps Plimoth Patuxet or Old Sturbridge Village, with their living historians representing a specific time. Or maybe you might think of our local historical interpreters who are part of the Sudbury Companies of Militia & Minute or the costume guides along the Freedom Trail in Boston.

The phrase “living history” can also be applied to the stewards of our historic houses in Wayland. These homeowners get to experience living history every day, now with the added conveniences of indoor toilets and electricity.

The Wayland Museum & Historical Society and Wayland Rev250 Still Standing House Tours on Sunday, May 4, brought more than 130 attendees to five of our colonial-era structures. These houses are still standing after centuries of change and weather, with floorboards and beams to prove it. Aside from the Wayland Museum’s home base of the Grout-Heard House (c.1740), sites included: the Hopestill Bent Tavern (c.1710), the Deacon Jonathan Griffin House (c. 1720), the Ephraim Sherman House (c. 1755), the Rev. Josiah Bridge House (1761), and Zechariah Bryant Jr. House (c. 1770).

If these historic walls could talk, they’d have stories. The Hopestill Bent Tavern, one of 13 colonial taverns in town identified by preservationist Gretchen Schuler, would have seen many travelers during its day, and one can only imagine the stories that have been shared around the hearths of these old houses for generations. Several houses on the tour still have their original large fireboxes and some even with beehive ovens. One attendee looked inside a beehive oven and said, “that would be great for pizza.” Bread was more the colonial diet, but she’s not wrong!

Living history isn’t just for the colonial era either. October minutes from the Wayland Historical Commission (separate from the Wayland Museum, an independent nonprofit) now recognize homes 75 years or older for their historic plaque program, meaning post-WWII and mid-century modern homeowners may be living history, too. That era may be for the next iteration for this event.

The hope is these tours and visits to the Wayland Museum will continue to keep local history alive and close to home. The Museum is always looking for volunteers, and the house tour committee (Elisa Scola, Mary Farley, Gretchen Schuler, and Joanne Berry) would welcome new hands for the next one. Get in touch at info@waylandmuseum.org.

A special thanks goes out to the homeowners who opened their doors, the history lovers who explored, the Wayland Garden Club for the gorgeous blossoms, and to the sponsors and volunteers who made the Historic House Tours event possible.