Deane Winthrop House

In the residential neighborhoods of Winthrop, Massachusetts, there are many homes and townhouses that line the streets close to the scenic shoreline. However, there is one home that seems to stick out considerably from the rest. Although it may appear out of place, this house has long been here before the others and has the distinction of being the oldest continuously occupied home in the United States.

The house was owned by Deane Winthrop, the sixth son of John Winthrop who the town is named after. The house was originally built in 1637 by Captain William Pierce and acquired by Deane in 1647. It was remodeled and rebuilt several times with the current structure dating to around 1675 with an addition later added in 1696.

Today, the home is owned by the Winthrop Improvement and Historical Association and houses a wide array of historical artifacts such as a 1641 Bible written in classical Greek, dishes from China ordered in 1775, a Springfield musket made in 1823, and an assortment of furniture hundreds of years old. But it still serves as a private residence the same as it did almost 350 years ago from Puritans, Minuteman, and homeowners today.

If you have an interest in early American history and would like to see the oldest still lived-in home in the country, the Deane Winthrop House is certainly worth a visit.