Hon. Bazaleel Taft House

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Hon. Bazaleel Taft House
Location240 South Main Street
Uxbridge, Massachusetts
Built1790
NRHP reference No.83004135 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 7, 1983

The Hon. Bazaleel Taft House is a historic house at 240 South Main Street in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. The oldest portion of this now-large house was built c. 1780-90 by Bazaleel Taft, and is a fine regional example of late Georgian architecture. The house is located on Massachusetts Route 122 at the intersection with the northern terminus of Massachusetts Route 146A. Today this home has been renovated and converted into an upscale dining facility, circa 1968, which retains the original house with the addition of large banquet facilities which can serve hundreds. The house operated as a banquet and restaurant facility for 40 years, closing in 2008 due to the poor economy.

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1]

Local legends about this home and findings

During renovations for a restaurant a Hessian sword was found in one of the walls, supporting a local legend that German mercenaries had visited the property as they marched through the Blackstone Valley during the Revolutionary War.[2] The renovations uncovered a number of 'cubby holes' throughout the mansion, constructed for no apparent reason, which supported another local legend that hiding spots were designed to conceal escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad to Canada.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ a b "Blackstone Valley, New England's National Historic Park Area, Cocke n' Kettle". blackstonerivervalley.com. Retrieved 2007-07-20.