History
The White-Ellery House was erected in 1710 upon what was then the Town Green of Gloucester. It was built at the edge of a marsh for Gloucester’s first settled minister, the Reverend John White (1677–1760). In keeping with White’s esteemed position in the community, the House exhibits a certain elegance and refinement, perhaps best reflected in the surviving interior details.
In 1735, the house was purchased by James Stevens and kept as a tavern, sometimes serving as a meeting place for the town’s selectmen. In 1740, Captain William Ellery (1693–1771) took title to the property. Ellery, who was almost 50 years old, had just married for the second time and after keeping the tavern in operation for a few years, used the house as a home for his growing family.
Over the next 200 years, six generations of the Ellery family lived in the house-a remarkable record of longevity. At the most basic level, the house tells the story of an ordinary, middle-class New England family who worked hard to provide for themselves and to raise their children, who witnessed and often took part in events of local and national importance, and who sought to preserve their legacy in the face of an ever changing world. At a broader level, the house serves as a rare and thought-provoking venue for students of all ages to explore the evolution of New England architecture and to better understand how changing tastes and housing needs affected one particular structure.
The structure remained in its original location until 1947 when it was moved approximately 100 yards to make room for Route 128. Although the center of Gloucester long ago moved from the Town Green to the Harbor Village, the site remains the entrance to Gloucester and an important historical site.
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