Historic New England invites us to explore the surprisingly intact Boardman House, built around 1692 in Saugus, MA. Dendrochronology reveals its construction date of 1692 and describes a fascinating history involving Scottish prisoners and changing ownership. Discover architectural details and the house’s unique place in New England history through this 13-minute video posted by History Bites New England on December 16, 2025.

With the majority of the original structure still intact, the house remains unaltered from the 17th and 18th centuries. In the mid 17th century, before William Boardman built his house, a structure was built by Samuel Bennett on or near where the Boardman House sits. This eventually led to the currently standing house to be erroneously called the Bennett House or the Scotch House, as Bennett’s House was used to house Scottish prisoners who worked at the nearby Saugus Iron Works.

The Boardman House features a classic first period layout. Downstairs was a hall including a cooking area and a small parlor separated by a front entry and a stair hall. Upstairs were two bed chambers straddling a massive central chimney.

A leanto was added to the original structure, housing the kitchen and milk room. The Boardman House was purchased by Williams Sumner Appleton, founder in 1910 of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, now named Historic New England. The west gable was restored around 1920, but for the most part, according to Historic New England, he left the house in the condition in which he bought it, which was largely unchanged from the 18th century.