A Historic Gift

Edward Emerson '26 swore he'd never sell his ancestral home so he gave it away

friend once asked Edward Emerson '26 of Norwich, Vt., when he would ever sell his ancestral home in Danvers, Mass., to which he replied, "The day I cut off my right arm." After all, the 343-year-old house, built by Thomas Putnam in what was then Salem Village, is a national historic landmark. It is believed to be the oldest house in America to be continously occupied by one family—a family which includes George Washington's second-in-command Israel Putnam, the genius behind the battle of Bunker Hill, and Putnam's father Joseph, a prominant opponent of the Salem witchcraft investigations. But none of the surviving descendants of Thomas Putnam are able to occupy die home anymore. So to ensure the preservation of the house as a national landmark, and to retain his right arm, Ed has hit upon a less painful alternative to selling: he and his sister Miriam Peters and brother John '37 are donating their home to the Historical Society of Danvers. While his ancestors had a strong connection to American history (his maternal grandmother was a Putnam), Ed's immediate family has had strong ties to Darmouth. His grandfather Wendell P. Hood, class of 1865, brothers Galo '35 and John '37, son Edward Jr. '63, and granddaughter Kimberly '78 all attended the College.

After all these years he is not ready to give the home up entirely. Edward was born in the house in 1905 and has stayed there frequendy since he graduated from Dartmouth and became an educator. He is retaining the right to life occupancy of half the house, "lest I should get pains in my arm." Meanwhile, the Historical Society will be leasing its half.

The Emerson family gathered in their historic home (below): Edward (left), siblingsincluding late brother Gah '35 and John 31 (both at right), and mother Susan.