The Codman House started as a Georgian build around 1735. Chambers Russell, the de facto founder of Lincoln, Massachusetts, built the original house. Then his brother-in-law, John Codman, the executor of Russell's estate, took over the property.
By the 1790s, John Codman had the house enlarged into a three-story Federal style home. The expansion may have involved noted American architect Charles Bulfinch. The interior is furnished with portraits, memorabilia, and artworks collected in Europe. Various rooms preserve the decorative schemes of every era, including those of noted interior designer Ogden Codman, Jr.
If the main house is too formal, the carriage house offers a different look at the past. Built around 1870 to a design by Snell & Gregerson, it served as a stable and then an early auto garage until the 1980s. You can still see hardware from that transition inside, including a machine-powered lathe and an early gas pump.
Today, the 16-acre estate is a museum run by Historic New England. You can walk the grounds that have been farmed almost continuously since 1735, then visit the Italian garden from 1899 with its reflecting pool and waterlilies, or the English cottage garden from 1930.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Kyle McLonely
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