This house, though reputed to have been built to serve on occasion as a garrison, problably gained its reputation because it is brick and has two large ovens such as garrison houses had, to provide cooking facilities for many refugees in emergency. Its solid oak doors (restored) certainly gave it strenght. But at that period all windows were small and, so far as known, were always leaded. So late as 1720 leaded windows were used in new houses. This house is a beautiful type of the small English manor. Such a house exists in Kent today and the resemblance is so close as to make it probable that our house is a copy of that.

The Hazen House stands on a high bank overlooking the Merrimac River, and is easily noticeable as one follows the river road from the city. The present entrance is at the corner, to avoid a flight of steps.

The bricks are laid in shell mortar, which was very convenient in the early days, kitchen middens made by the Indians being available for shells. The bricks, if brought from Englang, probably came as ballast, and not because they were not obtainable in America.

The notable feature of the exterior is the fenestration, there being, besides the two usual windows in the rooms each side of the front door, two additional windows on both floors, at the ends, and of half width. A similar narrow window is above the front door in the second story hall. The beauty and the balance of this arrangement is thoroughly good and quite charming. The double door also has a transom. The knocker is a very early and beautiful type. One steps over the raised sill as over a high threshold. The exterior, for the rest, is just as originally designed. The end chimneys enhance the effect of balance. A modern ell was removed and a fireproof service building, completely detached, constructed in the rear. The fenestration of the rear of the house is also very interesting.

The Kitchen and the parlor have each of them eight-foot fireplaces. One should open the closet doors in the kitchen to observe the beehive-shaped ovens. Also, now that we are within doors, the reason for the narrow windows appears. They light the closets, on both floors, each side of the chimneys.

On the kichen side, on both floore, the house has not only wooden latches, but even wooden hinges of oak. Some of these are as old as the house. In the earliest days iron was dear and mostly came from England. Hence wood was made to serve many purposes usually served by iron. The remaining hardware of the house is all old, except that on the windows. Strap and butterfly hinges appear in the parlor and parlor chamber.

The furniture in the kitchen comprises a butterfly table (so called from the shape of its swinging brackets) with the original heavy pine top. A large splay-legged table with fine heavy turnings (two stretchers restored) is another good piece. Hornbeam barrels, hollowed from the log, stand in the corners.

The little settle is really a sleigh or pung seat, the marks of wear appearing on the ends, where it bore against the high sides of the pung. Such seats were made removable, so that on occasion the pung could be used as a freight vehicle. A low and a high child's chair are of rare merit, the high one showing straddling legs to save its occupant from tipping over. There is a Jacobean cradle, with Cupid's bow edge, and other interesting chairs and tables and a "wag-on-the-wall." The old dresser is probably somewhat later than the house, but it is plainly the ancestor of the modern kitchen cabinet.

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The hall contains among other things a small turned table of rare style with splay legs. The front-door fastenings should be observed, and the fine latches on both doors.

There is a small desk of turned pattern in the parlor. The great double gate-legged oak table is rare. The large carved oak wainscot chair is a fine specimen. A side table with carved rail merits careful attention. A bible box rests upon it, and an early mirror is above. The day bed (couch, chaise longue) is a piece dating from 1700 and is in fine condition. The origin is perhaps Pennsylvanian. The rush seat, of course, is recent.

Of great interest are the very rare chair table and candle stand. The table is in pine. The top has battens with Gothic suggestions, and the panels at the ends are curved. The candle stand has both the candle bar and the circular table, each rising and falling on a wooden screw which forms the standard. The piece is all original.

The huge and heavy "back bower" is very early and interesting. The burn in the back was caused by a Betty lamp. There is a pair of caned armchairs well carved, so that this house presents upstairs and down a remarkable number of Jacobean specimens. A three-legged folding gate table is among the rarest pieces. It is all original except one foot.

The engravings date from the early part of the eighteenth century. The embossed leather pieces represent scenes from sacred history.

The corner cupgoard excites admiration from its rosette decoration. At the time of this house only pewter, wood, and earthenware were used on the table, unless a family possessed silver.

Without mentioning other articles we proceed upstairs, noting that the rail and steps are largely original. In the front of the hall is a little room for shoemaking, with a toggle-jointed cobbler's lamp bracket. The significance of this room lies in the fact that the house a century or so ago was used as a shoe manufactory, said to be the first in America, just as Broadhearth was the seat of the earliest iron manufactory. This little room was the office.

The kitchen chamber contains a loom, a reminiscence of the day when all cloth was made at home. The bed and trundle bed are quaint. A very rare piece is the Queen Anne table, with heavy pine-turned legs (part of the outside of balls testored). This table is not the base of a highboy, but was used to hold a small, movable chest. Note that it stands low. We have accordingly placed on it a rare pine desk box, with carving. The combination is very happy.

A Chair here (rockers, of course, added) has the heaviest and quaintest front stretcher (rung, round) the owner has seen. The heavy arm Windsor (black) is one of the finest known as regards the ramp of the seat and the sharply scrolled carved arm. The chest with turned legs is an odd survival. The table with spraddled bulldog legs, and several odd chairs or chests, make this a room of many attractions.

The parlor chamber proves attractive. A beautiful Queen Anne chair with ram's horn arms of very rare merit is flanked by side chairs to match. The sharp outturn of the Spanish feet in all these pieces is quaint. A bandy-legged whitewood high chest of drawers with original engraved handles is opposite. The bulbous turnings on the feet of an early Dutch chair are amusingly prominent. A Flemish chair in this room is the only one in the house too weak backed to bear a human burden, but it is too excellent in its carving to put aside.

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The so-called library table in walnut, while not rare, raises the interesting question whether such tables, with hinged tops, were not dining and kitchen tables also. The writing chair (student's or school master's chair) is rather elegant and light, and therefore somewhat late, but always delightful and desirable.

The hangings of the bed, all of the same goods, are a quaint early blue bed furnishing and are not easily surpassed in the home sense by the more elegant beds. A small oak folding gate-legged table here is very rare, dating from about 1675. The painted pine chest is a typical piece showing a taste for ornament. It is said that in houses of this date and after, having two closets in a room, one of them was used as a powder closet, so that the process of powdering the hair would not dust the entire room! We are delivered from some woes!

The garret contains such odds and ends as make garrets the charm of visitors and the bane of the housewife.

This compact, solid little house is perhaps unique in its completeness as a restoration of a house of this kind. It is practically all original except as already noted.

The heating flue for this house is carried underground to the building in the rear in order not to disturb the feeling for the old fashion.

An incident of old days was the hiding about the house of seven thousand dollars by the town treasurer, who lived here and who wished to save the money from falling into British hands. He died without revealing the secret of the hiding place. Old panel work was once torn down in the parlor in the search for the treasure. Any visitor who can stand with a witch's wand over the spot where the pot of gold lies will be given a share in the find! As for us we fear to disturb the foundations unless we are sure of our ground in advance.

From this house the Hazen of that day went out and made the survey, which still exists, of the line which divides Massachusetts from Vermont. And from this house, in General Hazen's time, started the army which made its ill-fated march into the great north woods of Canada.

Pictures of all parts of the house in color and pictures in gray of individual pieces of furniture in it may be seen on request. None of the furniture in this or any of the other houses of the chain is for sale. They are picture houses, first for showing a correct picture of early American life, second as a scene for any pictures Mr. Nutting may wish to make in them.

The next house north in the chain is the Cutler-Bartlet House in Newburyport, some thirteen miles, by a beautiful, direct road through Groveland and West Newbury, passing very many houses dating about 1700. The caretaker will give directions.

Going southerly one may at Stoneham pass over via Melrose Highlands to Saugus Center and Broadhearth, the oldest house of the chain, and therefore most fascinating, dating from 1646, and uni1que in many particulars.

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Wallace Nutting bought and restored the Hazen Garrison House in 1914 for his colonial picture business. Records indicate that he sold it in 1919 to John Moulton, a Haverhill librarian. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains in private ownership. It is not open to the public. Follow this link for more information about The Hazen Garrison House.

Following are just a few of the photographs made inside The Hazen Garrison House:
"A Little Helper" studio # 9212
"The Whirling Candle Stand" studio # 9214
"Embroidering" studio # 9216
"By The Great Horn Spoon" studio # 9217
"Proud As Peacocks" studio # 9223
"Christmas Gifts" studio # 9226