Braintree Historical Society

The General Sylvanus Thayer BIrthplace and Museum, located at 786 Washington Street (commonly known locally as Thayer House), is a principal landmark in the Town of Braintree. The original house, built in 1720 by Nathaniel Thayer, was a two-story structure consisting of a hall and parlor on the first floor, and two bedchambers on the second floor. Subsequently, a front vestibule was added and a large keeping room (kitchen) was constructed across the( rear of the house, together with a rare sunken buttery, spare room, carriage shed, and shoe shop. General Sylvanus Thayer , the “Father of West Point,” was born in the house in 1785.

The house was dedicated on its present site, following fastidious restoration, in 1960. Sixty percent of the major timbers of the house are original. The others are exact replacements, hewn with old style tools from the same type of wood, and cut and mortised exactly like the originals. The interior sheathing and paneling are all original, except for individual boards that required replacement or patching. The house contains a wide variety of furnishings, cooking and dining implements and other items that would likely be found in a middle class American country home of the late 18^th or early 19^th century.

The society hosts period tours (by appointment) of the Thayer Birthplace House. The Society anticipates reopening the facility for regular hours in April 2024.

The saltbox structure as it appears today was largely finished by shortly after 1800, situated on 92 acres of land approximately one mile south of its current location. In the late 1950s, Walworth Steel Company acquired the property and began the construction of a $5 million plant. Realizing the significance of the building, the firm offered it to the Braintree Historical Society, along with restoration and moving funds to be matched by other donations.

Since the move to the present site, a sizeable basement exhibit space has been added. Here we have the Braintree Room, the Military Room and the 19^th Century Room. These spaces artfully display a wide range of pictures and artifacts that show significant and fascinating aspects of local and national history. Included in the Society's rotating collections is one of antique ladies’ fans, manufactured by Braintree companies that were industry leaders in their day, is especially popular.

Sylvanus Thayer advocated engineering education. His birthplace holds exhibits on the railway, military history, and coopers, as well as circa 1785 period rooms.

The society offers exhibits, period rooms, guided tours of the Thayer House.

A classic New England "Salt Box"

The General Sylvanus Thayer BIrthplace and Museum, located at 786 Washington Street (commonly known locally as Thayer House), is a principal landmark in the Town of Braintree. The original house, built in 1720 by Nathaniel Thayer, was a two-story structure consisting of a hall and parlor on the first floor, and two bedchambers on the second floor. Subsequently, a front vestibule was added and a large keeping room (kitchen) was constructed across the( rear of the house, together with a rare sunken buttery, spare room, carriage shed, and shoe shop. General Sylvanus Thayer , the “Father of West Point,” was born in the house in 1785.

The house was dedicated on its present site, following fastidious restoration, in 1960. Sixty percent of the major timbers of the house are original. The others are exact replacements, hewn with old style tools from the same type of wood, and cut and mortised exactly like the originals. The interior sheathing and paneling are all original, except for individual boards that required replacement or patching. The house contains a wide variety of furnishings, cooking and dining implements and other items that would likely be found in a middle class American country home of the late 18^th or early 19^th century.

The society hosts period tours (by appointment) of the Thayer Birthplace House. The Society anticipates reopening the facility for regular hours in the near future.

The saltbox structure as it appears today was largely finished by shortly after 1800, situated on 92 acres of land approximately one mile south of its current location. In the late 1950s, Walworth Steel Company acquired the property and began the construction of a $5 million plant. Realizing the significance of the building, the firm offered it to the Braintree Historical Society, along with restoration and moving funds to be matched by other donations.

Since the move to the present site, a sizeable basement exhibit space has been added. Here we have the Braintree Room, the Military Room and the 19^th Century Room. These spaces artfully display a wide range of pictures and artifacts that show significant and fascinating aspects of local and national history. Included in the Society's rotating collections is one of antique ladies’ fans, manufactured by Braintree companies that were industry leaders in their day, is especially popular.

Sylvanus Thayer advocated engineering education. His birthplace holds exhibits on the railway, military history, and coopers, as well as circa 1785 period rooms.

The society offers exhibits, period rooms, guided tours of the Thayer House.