The Abijah Clark House

The Abijah Clark house dates from 1814 and is almost completely original inside. From some research we have done it seems the land (like much of the land in town) was originally owned by Jonas Clark, founder of Clark University in Worcester, who began his career as a carriage maker in Hubbardston. At this time we do not know what relation Abijah Clark had to Jonas. The Wheeler family purchased the building in 1908, and although it was rented out and occupied until the 40's or 50's, it was largely kept vacant and used for storage since then. A barber shop operated in one of the front rooms for a time, and this led to the installation of electricity in two of the rooms in the house. These are the only rooms to this day that have wiring in them. Central heat was never installed. Neither was plumbing. Water was (and still can be), pumped from the well outside into basin sinks in the kitchen. A privy at the back of the house was the only toilet facility. For many years a room in the house was a gathering place at night for men in town to play cards, although it seems no money was wagered. John may reinstate that tradition!

The house is one of what must be a very few homes to have almost completely escaped being modernized, and as such is a remarkable piece of history. Our goal with this building is to perform as little updating as possible, and to preserve as much of the homes original features as we possibly can. We are hoping to have displays of the town's history in some rooms, as well as hosting discussions and presentations on a variety of historic topics.

It was listed on the Massachusetts Historic Society's 10 Most Endangered places in 2000, after the local building inspector condemned the building due to its increasingly decrepit condition and the danger of fire ravaging the structure. In spite of this negative opinion however, the building is in remarkably good condition for its age. The roof line is very straight, as are the walls, and there is little evidence of significant water penetration inside the structure. The basement has greater issues, however, and the structure will need to be raised somewhat to perform sill replacement and foundation rebuilding. All the exterior clapboards, window frames, and doors seem to be original and much will need replacement. The window sashes have been replaced at some point and reproductions will be made of the originals. With some creative thinking we hope to hide most of the modern features that will be required to be installed, such as heating and wiring, and retain the original feel of the house that exists now.

Stabilization of this structure will begin immediately, but we do not anticipate restoration work to begin for a year or so. If you would like to be kept updated on our progress with this unique building, or donate money, time, or materials to its recreation, please contact us!