The Colonel James
Hartshorne House
Wakefield, Mass.
The Colonel James Hartshorne House, from an
old postcard
The "Hartshorne House," currently located on Prospect Street, in Wakefield, Massachusetts, has been standing for more than 300 years and is one of the oldest existing houses in the United States. The Hartshorne House Association, a non-profit historical association, purchased the house and continues to maintain it as a public trust. Original ownership of the house and the identification of the James Hartshorn who owned it are somewhat complicated so I would like to provide the details, many of which what are somewhat ironic.
The historic structure currently bears the name of Colonel James Hartshorn (records indicate that he discarded the original 'e' borne by his ancestors and chose to be known as "James Hartshorn.")
The "Col. James Hartshorne" for whom the house is currently identified was the second Colonel James Hartshorn (1776-1870). He was also known as James Henry Hartshorn, Sr. He purchased the house in 1803, the same year as the the Louisiana Purchase and the same year he married his first wife, Abigail Coggin.
This "Colonel James" was the son of Deacon James Hartshorn (1750-1824), and his wife, Abigail Hopkinson Hartshorn (1753-1841). She was the daughter of the noted Deacon Ebenezer Hopkinson. Deacon James Hartshorn was the great-great grandson of Thomas Hartshorn, the immigrant and early founding resident of Reading, Massachusetts. James' father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all named Benjamin, a name that would follow for eight successive generations.
James and Abigail had six children, all of whom would spend their lives in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Their second child, James Henry Hartshorn, Jr. (7 July 1807-aft. 1880) would continue the line.
Abigail died three years after the birth of their sixth, and last child, George Augustus Hartshorn Three years later, James would marry Mary Poole and have five additional children.
James Henry Hartshorn, Jr. (1807-1880), second son of James and Abigail, married Miss Maria Williams in 1832. They had five children, the second being James Henry Hartshorn, III (5 May 1835-18 Aug 1863).
This last James Henry Hartshorn, III (1835-1863), in this illustrious line, would distinguish himself in the War Between the States.
Many members of this Hartshorn family line, from the emigrant and progenitor, Thomas (1614-1683), down to James Henry Hartshorn, Jr., experienced the sad experience of losing the first child, with a few exceptions.
- Thomas the emigrant (1614-1683) has a first child, Thomas, born in 1646 and died in infancy. Thomas' next child would assume his deceased brother's name. This Thomas (1648-1729) survived to carry on the family name.
- Benjamin (1685-1754), grandson of Thomas, had a daughter, Elizabeth who was born in 1724 and died in infancy. The second Elizabeth would be born a year later and survived to adulthood.
- Deacon James Hartshorn (1750-1824) had a first child, James (1773-1775), who died in infancy. His third son, James Henry (1776-~1880), would continue the Hartshorn line.
- The first child of James Henry, Sr. (1776-~1880) was named James Henry (1806-1806), and would die shortly after birth. The second son, James Henry, Jr. (1807-~1880), would survive and continue the line.
- After the death of his first wife, Abigail, Deacon James would marry Mary Poole. The same tragedy would be repeated. Their first child, Thomas Wilson Hartshorn (1821-1822), would die in infancy and his name would be applied to their second child, Thomas Wilson Hartshorn (1823-1843). This second son of the second marriage would die tragically at the age of 20.
- And finally, the first son of James Henry, Jr., named James Henry (1832-1833), failed to survive infancy. The second son, James Henry, III (1835-1863), survived infancy but died as a young man during the Civil War.
And thus, the seed of Col. James Hartshorn ended tragically and abruptly. Other Hartshorn lines continued to flourish but no male successors survived to claim direct ancestry to Colonel James Hartshorn of Wakefield.
Contemporary historians and civic institutions are blessed with good fortune for the forward-thinking benefactors who have sought to preserve this historic structure. On behalf of the Hartshorn family, I would like to personally thank those who have played such an important part in the preservation of this unique part of Americana and the conservation of a unique foundation of our culture.
For more information on the Hartshorne House, A unique New England landmark,
please visit the Hartshorne House site.
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