MPS Swansea MRA Opened 1701 Added to NRHP 16 February 1990 | Built 1690-1701 NRHP Reference # 90000066 Area 2 ha | |
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Architectural styles Georgian architecture, Federal architecture | ||
The Benjamin Cole House is a historic house at 412 Old Warren Road in Swansea, Massachusetts, United States. Built in 1701, this house is the oldest documented building in Swansea. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Description and history
The Cole house is set on the south side of Old Warren Road, a historic early road through what is now southwestern Swansea. It is a 2-1/2 story wood frame structure, five bays wide, with a side gable roof and a large central chimney. The exterior has Federal-period styling (probably added in the late 18th century), and an ell, built c. 1850, extends to the rear of the main block. The main entrance is set in a projecting hip-roofed vestibule, which is decorated with corner pilasters. Outbuildings of the property include a barn (c. 1890) and garage (c. 1950).
Benjamin Cole, who built the house, was the grandson of James Cole, who was the first of the Coles to come to North America, and for whom Cole's Hill in Plymouth is named. It continued to be the center of a major farmstead into the 20th century, operated for many years by the Wilbur family.