SAVE THE DATE! 2024 Fairbanks Family in America Annual Reunion & Member’s Meeting: Sat., July 13, 2024
Visit our Museum. Visit History.
The oldest Timber Frame House in North America.
The Fairbanks House in Dedham, MA is the oldest known timber frame house still standing in North America. Built circa 1637 for Jonathan and Grace Fairbanks and their six children, it was home to eight generations of the Fairbanks family over the course of 268 years. The Fairbanks House is now a historic house museum and on the National Register of Historic Places.
~ Like No Other Historic House ~
Abbott Lowell Cummings, former Charles F. Montgomery Professor of American Decorative Arts at Yale University, said that the Fairbanks House… “is one of the most important historic houses now standing in the northeastern part of the United States. Its value to the area and to the nation as a whole lies not so much in its claim to being the oldest house in New England but in its architectural significance… It may be said quite simply that no other house of the mid-17th century in New England has survived in such unbelievable unspoiled condition. It is extraordinary that so early a structure should preserve such a high percentage of original features. It is a veritable storehouse of information concerning the small handful of houses which survive from this early period.”
The #FairbanksHouse has gone digital!
Take our state of the art 3D virtual tour
Also be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram
for exciting news about how the Old House is adapting to the digital age!
~ Our Mission Statement ~
The Fairbanks Family in America, Inc., seeks to conserve, promote and interpret its two houses, its object based and archival collections through the experience of the Fairbanks Family in America and their contributions to the American story, from 1637 through the early 20th century. We aim to identify, engage and educate the many public audiences through tours, exhibits and lectures, in an effort to connect with as many as possible by sharing valuable lessons from our past to positively impact lives both in the present and in the future.
See By-Laws-Ratified at the FFA Annual Meeting 8/10/2019
Join our Team
We welcome volunteers and docents to help us with museum tours and special projects. Immerse yourself in Colonial America.
Become a Member
Membership in the Fairbanks Family in America is open to all – lineal descendants and friends of the Fairbanks House.
Make a Donation
Support the oldest timber frame home, an example of historic American architecture, and a national treasure.