16 



town of Woburn to the wilderness of Pennycook, he installed 

 ner as mistress of a log house then standing upon a low bluft 

 sloping to the shore of Horse Shoe pond. Thence he looked 

 northward across the interval to the wigwam of the wily old 

 Indian, Waternummons, before mentioned. 



In this primitive abode the first minister lived until 1734, 

 when, kindly aided by his people, 1 he had erected a more com- 

 modious one of timber and boards. This was more pretentious 

 than the first, being two stories high and covered with a gam- 

 brel roof. The cracks in the boarding of the latter were bat- 

 tened beneath the shingles with long strips of birch bark. The 

 timbers were of oak and hard pine. The boarding of the walls 

 was feather-edged, and nailed to the frame with wrought-iron 

 nails made by the village blacksmith. The kitchen hearth- 

 stone of granite is still in use, and is ten feet one and a half 

 inches long and thirty-one inches wide. It was but partially 

 finished inside, and went unpainted for more than twenty 

 years. 2 It still stands in comfortable condition, and has shel- 

 tered six generations of the good man's family. 



In this, for half a century, he dispensed a simple hospitality 

 to his numerous visitors. Here, John Stark rehearsed his cap- 

 tures by the Indians on Baker's river, in 1752, and his military 

 experiences in the battles of Bunker Hill and Bennington. 

 Here Robert Rogers, the Ranger, told of his bold exploits about 

 Lake George, in our last French and Indian war, of his destruc- 

 tion of the Indian village, at the confluence of the St. Francis 

 and St. Lawrence rivers, and of the annihilation of its male mis- 



1 At a town meeting held on the 16th day of January, 1733— '4, it was 

 "Voted, That there should be Fifty Pounds given to Mr. Timothy Walker for 

 building of him a Dwelling House in Penny Cook provided that he gives the 

 Inhabitants and Freeholders a Receipt that he has received in full for his 

 Salary in times past until this Day for the Decay of Money it not being equal 

 to Silver at Seventeen Shillings the Ounce." — Concord Town Records, printed 

 copy, p. 15. 



2 The houses in Pennycook were rarely, if ever, painted one hundred and 

 fifty years ago. The first minister seems to have nearly finished his house in 

 1757, and was in much doubt as to the wisdom of painting it. He says, in a 

 letter to his son dated September 9 of that year, '• One article we have at 

 present under consideration is whether or no to paint ye outside. Am ad- 

 vised to it by ye best judges and particularly Col. Rolfe." 



