Cooper-Frost-Austin House — Attraction in Cambridge

In August 2023, I visited Cooper-Frost-Austin House, the oldest extant building in Cambridge, now owned by Historic New England (HNE). Built in 1681, members of the same family lived in the house for its entire life as a regular residence. Cooper-Frost-Austin House is open only a few days a year. Tickets are standard HNE small house pricing at $10 for standard guests and $0 for HNE members (like me!). Metered parking is available on Massachusetts Avenue. I had previously parked at the MBTA parking garage, walked two miles to Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, then walked another mile to Cooper-Frost-Austin House, which was a great time for me, but certainly not for most people. Like most historic house museums, the property is not accessible to those using wheelchairs. Stairs are steep, and the attic ceiling is low. Lighting was minimal, especially during a cloudy day. No virtual tour is currently available. This is a fascinating property for people obsessed with early American architecture, but likely is not the right experience for...

The Cooper-Frost-Austin House, was built in the late 17th century by Samuel Cooper and then expanded by his family in the 18th century. The “Frost” in the name comes from Gideon Frost (a grandson) who owned the house followed by Frost’s granddaughter Martha Austin (the “Austin” part of the house). This inheritance pattern meant centuries of single-family ownership. In terms of construction, the Oxford Tree-Ring laboratory dated the original wood for the building to three cutting dates: the winter of 1675-1676, the winter of 1680-1681, and the...

I have a book called " "Historica Houses and Spots in Cambridge and near by towns" written by John W Freese in 1898. He states that the house was built in 1657 by Deacon...