Here Are the Oldest Houses for Sale in Massachusetts

The dining room of 16 Frances Hill Rd. in Westford / Photo courtesy of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

Among the McMansions and split-level homes that dot the streets of your town, architectural treasures remain. New England homes have a reputation for being just plain old, and plenty of houses in the area date back to the original colonists.

If you’re on the hunt for house with an antique fireplace or some original batten doors, look no further than this list of the oldest homes for sale in Massachusetts. Compiled by real estate data firm NeighborhoodX, these 25 houses were built between 1642 and 1695. This classifies them as First Period houses—defined as the first buildings that sprang up in the Northeastern colonies.

Built by some of the region’s earliest settlers, these houses strayed from European design by making use of New England’s plentiful timber. Many wood-frame homes were covered with clapboard and shingles, and featured deeply pitched roofs to minimize rooftop snow piles. Most of the homes on the list are concentrated near the sea, which makes sense considering coastal Massachusetts contains the highest volume of First Period homes in the country.

A few unique listings include a saltbox cottage in Salisbury that poet Edna St. Vincent Millay once called home, and Norwell’s Betty Crocker House. The two most affordable First Period homes are at 20 Kendall Street in Tyngsborough and 12 Robinson Road in Littleton. The first was built in 1690 and asks $259,000. The second was built in 1673 and asks $325,000.

Here, check out the three oldest homes on the market in Massachusetts.

The Oldest

Photo courtesy of Redfin

137 Shawsheen Road, Bedford
Year built: 1642
Price: $529,000
Size: 2,448 square feet
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 3.5

The Second Oldest

Photo courtesy of Coldwell Banker Residental Brokerage

16 Frances Hill Road, Westford
Year built: 1656
Price: $590,000
Size: 2,016 square feet
Bedrooms: 3
Baths: 1.5

The Third Oldest

Photo courtesy of Redfin

14 Leonard Street, Gloucester
Year built: 1657
Price: $1,300,000
Size: 4,296 square feet
Bedrooms: 5
Baths: 2.5

Wondering about the other 22 homes? See the interactive chart here or peep the graphic below.

For an interactive version, click here.