May, 1906 
wood, ae yellow, with white trimmings. 
It would be impossible to describe it in fewer 
words, or more accurately, yet it is very much 
more than this simple statement implies. 
It is a house of distinguished dignity, large 
and ample in its dimensions, satisfying in its architectural as- 
pect, rich in its interior furnishings and decorations, sur- 
rounded, on its inner side, by a garden of rare beauty, and 
overlooking an exquisite landscape. It is a house quite as 
distinctive in situation as it is in architecture. Lancaster is 
as quiet a town as maintains independent existence within the 
commonwealth of Massachusetts, its origin dating from 
1643. Its antiquity, as ancient settlements are reckoned in 
America, is of the first rank, for it is the oldest inland settle- 
ment in the United States. But its chief present interest is 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
Notable 
American Homes 
By Barr Ferree 
"The Homestead,” 
the Home of 
Nathaniel Thayer, Esq. 
Lancaster, Massachusetts 
rather in its beautiful surroundings, its vast peaceful valleys, 
its beautiful stretches of fields and meadows, the entrancing 
views it affords from almost every point of vantage. Its land- 
scapes are characterized by a wonderful charm of serenity 
that must make it very dear to those who know it and live 
within its borders. 
The associations of the Thayer family with Lancaster have 
been long and intimate. The site of the present great house, 
a circumstance that is expressed in its name, was the seat of 
the family homestead, made famous by the Rev. Dr. Na- 
thaniel Thayer, the founder of the family in Lancaster, a 
noted divine, many of whose personal souvenirs are still 
treasured by his descendants. It is a dwelling that has far 
outgrown its predecessor, but it has very obviously the char- 
acter of a great country seat, and its simple architecture, its 
well studied proportions, and attractive air express very 
The Terrace Affords a Splendid Outlook over the Country Beyond 
