-
-
- There's
a house in a remote part of
Hancock with an aura of mystery
about it. Called the "Hubbard
House" it was built by a
Revolutionary War veteran who
came to Hancock from Concord,
Mass., to build on land given him
by his brother-in-law Charles
Barrett of the New Ipswich
Barretts.
-
- Now
declining and vulnerable, it
began as a small white house with
the luxurious distinction of a
brick chimney. Around it was
constructed a second house, built
in the style of the great houses
of Concord, This was the first
two-storied house built in town
and was a great event that took
every able-bodied man in Hancock
and Peterborough, aided by the
ever-present barrel of rum.
-
- David
Hubbard must have been prosperous
by then - a farmer, selectman,
constable and one of the builders
of the Meetinghouse. However,
life must have taken a turn, for
we read of "overdue taxes" in an
early town report. A short time
later, he disappeared, the only
trace of him… his hat on the
shore of Greenfield Pond. The
family left town and returned to
Concord, Mass., where they were
associated with beginning the
project to build "the rude bridge
that arched the flood" and the
Minuteman statue.
-
- Following
occupancy of the house by people
from New Ipswich, some
interesting residents appeared.
The first was a band of
counterfeiters, who used the
house for their business. (Holes
in the cellar walls where they
stored their trade tools were
still visible in the 1960s.) It
was during this residency that
the "haunted house" stories
began. Since the house was on a
major north-south route, it was
customary for travelers to stop
and seek food and lodging. They
were welcomed, but invariably
around midnight rattling chains,
shrieks and groans would awaken
them. In the morning the hosts
would say, "We didn't hear
anything," effectively
discouraging return visits. More
families came and went. One, the
Knight Family, lived there the
longest with their fourteen
children. The Knights added
plaster to the walls, and
delicate stencil borders of ivy
and other classic patterns. Moses
Eaton and Amos Stickney were
among the artists. More
outbuildings, another barn and
ell were added - the property was
at its zenith.
-
- Following
several other occupancies, the
house reverted to a place of
mystery with the occupancy of two
psychiatric nurses from the World
War I era who practiced there.
Ownership has changed since then,
yet the house still stands, well
over 200 years old - Who knows
what's ahead for it now!
-
Eleanor
Amidon, Hancock Happenings,
Volume 1, July 1999
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