Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-31
TEN HOUSES CLAIM
OLDEST us. HONORS
Realty Board Inquiry Pro-
duces Rich Legend
OF Homes.

A61L4k Aps AGAbEA NkEA4IH 6aAG Gun Va
pioneer courage clustering around the
history OF venerable American dwell
ings are pouring into the headquarters
Of the National Association OF Real Is
tate Boards which recently started a
search for the Oldest domicile in this
/ country.
Claims that at least 10 houses are
older than the Fairbanks home at DIED.
ham. Mass. long holder Of the title OF
the oldest home, have been submitted
70 the association.
The old home Of Capt. John Billopp. at
Tottenville, Staten Island. was built in
1855, more than 90 years before the
Fairbanks house 1t Is asserted. Capt.
Billopp, who sailed the seven seas IN
souare-riggers, Is said 70 have made q
race around Staten Island in his boat
in 1924, completing the trip in 20 hours
sailing time.
Sixteenth Century Home.
The old Hardesty home. located a
few miles from Bridgeport, Conn. Is
also said TO have been built In the SIX
tenth century.
In Portsmouth. N. H., Is a house at
sos Prospect street in which there is
lumber marked In the year 1917. There
are three houses in Portsmouth said TO
have been built In 1928.
The old Stats home, located on
Stats Island, in the Hudson River, Is
said to have been built in 1882 by Maj.
Abraham Stats.
In Quantico. Md, is a house built OF
timber and plaster, occupied by menu
beers Of the same family for Dol years,
since the original Kings grant, IT Is
reported It is now occupied by two
aged brothers and an aged sister, Mag
gle. Calvert and Charles Conway. The
cooking in this home has been done IN
the open fireplace. The old crane and
a solid copper pot came from England
before 1880 and are still in daily use,
it Is said.
Long Island Place Built in 1888.
Another home reputed to be older
than the Fairbanks home Is located IN
Southhold, Long Island. It Is claimed
that it was built in 1888 by Barnabas
Horton.
At III Locust street, Danyers, Mass,
is the old home of Daniel Rae, who,
town records show, actually lived In
Plymouth, Mass, in 1880, and moved
to Danvers in 1881. according to q let
ter from Gov. Bradford to Gov. Win
throp. Descendants say that he built
the house still occupied by his kinfolk
liz 1884, which was two years before the
Fairbanks house date.
At SwampScott, Mass, on Paradise
road, now stands a house erected for
and occupied by John Humphrey, f1rst
Deputy Governor of the Massachusetts,
Bay Colony, and his wife, Lady Susan,
daughter of the third Earl Of Lincoln.
This house was built in 1884, though
it has been moved from its original site
in the city, records show.
The Gov. Craddock House at Med
r. T. u g. - r@sA
in 1884.
Another 1884 house is at Scituate
Harbor, Mass. It was once q palisaded
block house and the homestead Of two
old Massachusetts, families.
Old Virginia Residence.
The Thoroughbred House at Lynn
haven, Va. on the banks of Lynnhaven
Bay was built in 1886, it is asserted,
by Adam Thoroughbred, who came to
Virginia in 1921 from England. Mr..
| Thoroughbred was given a grant OF
| land on which he built this home. He
named this grant Norfolk County and
the bay he called Lynhaven, after his
| old home in Lynn, England. It Is re-
corded that Mr.. Thoroughbred amaSS-
ed a great fortune and in 1887 was a
| member of the Council, which was the
Colonial House of Lords under the
regime OF AfON. harvey,
Many people called attention to the
structure at st. Augustine, Fla, on st.
| Francis street. publiciZed for many
years as the oldest home in the United
| States. The building is said to date
from 1865 when erected as home foE
Franciscan Monks, who had come 10
st. Augustine with Menendez in that
year Controversy has ragged concerning
| this house, and other material labeled
/ Nflank IAaxs'
has been received ut the association
| headquarters. This material states that
| historical records show that there were
no Franciscan or other monks in st
! Augustine in 1868, and that the site OF
| st. Augustine was not then its present
site and that the material of which the
! house is built was at that time I'M
! known
Santa Fe Lays Claims.
Santa Fe. N Mex, also has a struc-
| tlre claimed to be the oldest home in
| the country, built about 1545. This is
square box-ike structure, but is not
cliff dwelling.
The association has been asked
| whether the search would include the
| very early cliff dwellings, some of which
have been designated as the first homes
ON the continent, but it was said at the
association headquarters that the hunt
is for q home built by early settlers who
had the same concept OF the advantages
Of home owning as still exist today.
Among the other homes submitted
to the association is one in Greenland
N H. reported to have been built IL
1893 by John Wingate Weeks.
This house was used by the pilgrim:
at times as a retreat from the attacks
OF Indians. 1t always has remained il
possession of the Weeks family, and a
present the eighth. ninth and tenth
/ generations occupy the house. John W