Massachusetts has always led the nation in social progress and education, but did you know that the country’s first utopia was right here in the Bay State?
Located in West Roxbury, Brook Farm was an early attempt to create the perfect society. It was founded by Unitarian minister George Ripley and his wife Sophia Ripley in 1841. They had a vision of a community where everyone lived communally and dedicated themselves to a mixture of physical labor and intellectual pursuits. Sadly, the utopia did not meet a happy end.
So who were these people? Famed journalist Charles A. Dana and legendary author Nathanial Hawthorne were among the original residents. The residents of Brook Farm believed that by sharing the work of the farm equally, everyone would have enough time for pleasure and learning. They would share everything, from food to books. Each person would contribute to the community.
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The farm attracted mostly intellectuals, but idealistic farmers and craftspeople came as well. They were all paid $1 a day for their work, physical or mental, and provided their services to the residents.
The Brook Farm school was particularly unique. Students were never punished, and there were no set study hours. Instead, children were encouraged to explore and cultivate their natural curiosity.
Unfortunately, the utopia was doomed. Though the members worked hard to keep things going, the farm slid into debt. The final blow came when the Phalanstery, the community’s planned grand hall, burned down just days before its completion. The Print Shop (pictured above) is the last historic building at Brook Farm. It was built in 1890, after the utopia had already crumbled.
The residents of Brook Farm eventually drifted apart and went their separate ways. Today, the farm is a silent reminder that even the best intentions don't guarantee success.
For more surprising tidbits of Massachusetts history, check out these 10 bizarre and fascinating things that most people don't know about the Bay State.
The Battle to Save a Historic Witch Trials Home Near Salem, Massachusetts Is Worth the Fight
The future of a historic Salem Witch Trials building may look bleak, but concerned citizens are rallying to save the Ingersoll's Ordinary tavern before nature takes its toll.
As I write this article on a sunny autumn afternoon, 1.2 million tourists are quickly invading my local city of Salem, Massachusetts. Many come for the haunted houses, costume balls, and the festive party atmosphere that the spooky season brings to town. Others visit to reflect upon the dark history of the city’s most notorious event, the Salem Witch Trials.
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When it comes to this horrific period in time, it is important to preserve what we have left of these historical events. Salem offers endless “witchcraft” museums, tours, and reenactments, but only a few sites with actual ties to the trials remain. We have lost too much already. The Old Witch Gaol (jail), where the accused were imprisoned under horrific conditions, was demolished in the 1950s by the New England Telephone Company, and many of the homes of citizens associated with the trials have long been torn down. The Witch House (home of Judge Jonathan Corwin ) is the one remaining "witch trial" city building we have left.
However, what many people do not realize, is that the neighboring town of Danvers also contains buildings linked to the events surrounding the trials. Unfortunately, one of these remaining structures, Nathaniel Ingersoll's Ordinary Tavern, is in dire need of repair and may eventually be lost to history like so many historic structures before it.
Kimberly Falchek/Only In Your State
In 1692, Danvers was considered to be part of Salem. It wasn’t until 1757 that the town was incorporated. Several locals associated with the witch trials, including accused victims Rebecca Nurse and Sarah Osborne, lived in what was called “Salem Village."
Salem Village was also home to Nathaniel Ingersoll (my 10th great-granduncle). Ingersoll was a militia lieutenant and a church deacon. His family ran a tavern known as Ingersoll’s Ordinary. The tavern served as a social center for the community who regularly gathered here to eat and drink. Guestrooms were also available for rent. During the time of the hysteria, people accused of performing acts of witchcraft were held and possibly examined on this site. The Ordinary was later used as a meeting spot for militia during the Revolutionary War.
Kimberly Falchek/Only In Your State
Fast-forward to 2024, and this historic home is in a sad state of neglect and disrepair. The clapboards are coming off, the sills are rotted, and a gaping hole is visible in the roof. The state of the privately owned building is atrocious and getting worse by the year. The race against time is on to try to save this important part of our nation's history.
A group of concerned citizens, history buffs, and witch trial descendants have formed a Facebook group called SAVE Ingersoll’s Tavern. The group has rallied behind a passionate man named David McKenna, president of the Danvers Historical Society. McKenna has acted as spokesperson for the campaign as well as the liaison between the current Ingersoll’s Ordinary owner and the public. The group is trying to bring awareness to the situation, and members have created an online petition to save the building. For now, that is all that can be done.
When I spoke with David McKenna, he told me that he was frustrated, and rightfully so. The Ingersoll home (once owned by McKenna’s good friends) has been sitting vacant for well over a decade. The off-site owner has neglected to properly maintain the historic property, and nature is quickly taking its toll. Although some headway has been made to preserve the exterior of the home, what lies inside is unknown. McKenna’s hands are tied until the reluctant owner lets someone inside the home to assess the state of the property’s interior. And time is of the essence.
While McKenna is upset, he believes that the owner has good intentions and truly wants to preserve the property despite being overwhelmed by the process. McKenna has attempted to meet with the owner numerous times but has been unsuccessful.
Kimberly Falchek/Only In Your State
Earlier this fall, my husband and I grabbed lunch in Danvers and took a trip to visit the Ordinary. I have to admit that I became a little emotional. The three-bedroom home sits on a corner lot of a pretty street. Several historical witchcraft sites lie within walking distance of the home.
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The house is surrounded by mature trees and an old fence made of stone. Despite the Ordinary’s historic past, there are no plaques to mark its significance. If you didn’t know the building’s history, you would think it was just another old New England home in desperate need of some love.
As we surveyed the property from our spot on the sidewalk, we could clearly see the growing hole in the rooftop and the peeling paint on the clapboards. The house was marked with a square red and white sign indicating that it is an unsafe, abandoned property. However, looking beyond the damage, it wasn’t hard to see the beauty of the old home and recognize the potential that it may hold if it can be rescued.
Kimberly Falchek/Only In Your State
We finished up our visit and took a quick walk down the street to pay our respects at the Salem Village Witchcraft Victims' Memorial. Later, as we headed back to Salem, we passed the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, another historic witchcraft trials home. As we drove on, I thought a lot about what life must have been like for my ancestors when they resided in the area back in the time of the hysteria. While most things are quite different in 2024, we all know that history tends to repeat itself, especially if we don’t learn from it. I can’t think of a better reason to preserve our ties to the past than this.
Whether or not you've ever spent time on Cape Cod, I'm sure visions of white sandy beaches and lighthouses pop into your head. But Cape Cod is so much more than that! How do I know? Well, not only have I been coming here my entire life but I also live here in the summer. So, did you know that there are windmills on Cape Cod? In fact, there are a total of seven historic Cape Cod windmills, one of which I have passed by more times than I can count on Route 6 in Eastham. But this year, I finally stopped by to learn all about it.
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My dad, stepmom, a couple of friends, and I were on our way to Chatham one day when we saw the door to the windmill open. I urged my dad to pull over so we could check it out. My dad is a huge history buff so he was more than happy to oblige. The fact that we could now learn about this tremendous piece of Cape Cod history was certainly appealing!
We parked the car and walked across the green towards the windmill. Upon entering the door marked with a plaque that states, "Eastham Windmill 1680," we were greeted by the "Miller." As this windmill is no longer used as a mill, the "Miller" is a volunteer who oversees this landmark and shares information to visitors. Also, just so you know, visiting the Eastham Windmill is free!
Eastham wasn't the original home of this windmill. In fact, it's moved around the Cape a few times. It all began in 1680 when its construction was finished in the town of Plymouth. Its first big move was in the 1770s when it was relocated across Cape Cod Bay to Truro where it was used until 1793. The windmill's second move came in 1793 when it was moved to Eastham, first to where the Salt Pond Visitor Center is currently located and then to its current location in 1808.
This windmill is nearly 350 years old and has survived three major moves, having been disassembled and reassembled each time. To me, that's quite impressive! It's the oldest as well as the last working gristmill on Cape Cod, and if you're wondering, yes, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From architectural plans breaking down each piece of how the mill was built and how it works to old photos from years past on the wall, this windmill serves as a museum of its remarkable past.
Over the centuries, numerous millers have worked here. Local residents would bring corn they grew to the windmill, and that corn would then be ground into cornmeal to be used to bake bread and cakes.
It was fascinating to learn how the windmill worked, from how the sails were adjusted depending on where the wind was blowing to how the corn was ground against the stone after it went through the hopper. While the technology is old compared to today, I find it amazing that this is how it was done hundreds of years ago and how effective it was.
Additionally, the mill always had a cat whose sole responsibility was to catch mice. As you can see from the photo below, the cat had its own space where it would either sleep or lay in wait for a mouse. The illustration with the cat states: "Jason is the windmill cat. He was washed ashore from a shipwreck a long time ago and came to live with the miller. He kept the mice away from the cornmeal and was a faithful companion to the old miller for many years."
Have you ever checked out the Eastham Windmill or any of the other Cape Cod windmills? To learn more about the Eastham Windmill, visit the Eastham Historical Society website. The windmill is open to the public on weekends during the summer, weather permitting. Additionally, you can celebrate the Eastham Windmill during the Windmill Weekend held on Labor Day weekend each year.
Do you know of any other historic sites on Cape Cod that you think we should write about? Use our nomination form to tell us all about it!
