Wing Fort House
Built in 1641, the Wing Fort House is recognized as the oldest home in New England that has been continuously owned by the same family. It became in 1646 the home of Stephen Wing, one of the early settlers of Sandwich and son of the Reverend John Wing and Deborah Bachelor. His descendants continued to live in the home until 1942 when the last resident, Miss Cora Wing, sold the home to the Wing Family of America, Inc. At one time thought to be a fort to protect the earliest settlers from the Native Americans, the Wing Fort House is now restored and a museum, furnished almost entirely with Wing family antiques showing the different periods of its long family history. The property consists of the house itself, outbuildings and four acres of grass and meadow. The house is situated on top of a small knoll that overlooks the Spring Hill marshes and Cape Cod Bay and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The Wing Family of America gave Plymouth Archaeological Rediscovery Project archaeologists the opportunity to examine the house and its surroundings in 2010. Excavations revealed a previously unknown well as well as a relatively small lean-to addition to the house that may have served as a dairy or milkhouse. They also recovered significant 17th to 19th century artifacts that helped to illuminate the lives of the Wing family through the ages. In the 17th century, the house was once part of the Quaker village in Sandwich and the Wing Family was one of the prominent Quaker families in town. You can learn more about the Quaker Meetinghouse in Sandwich HERE.
The Wing Fort House is open June 15 to September 15, Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
To log this geocache on opencaching.us, the password is Quakers.
The Wing Family of America gave Plymouth Archaeological Rediscovery Project archaeologists the opportunity to examine the house and its surroundings in 2010. Excavations revealed a previously unknown well as well as a relatively small lean-to addition to the house that may have served as a dairy or milkhouse. They also recovered significant 17th to 19th century artifacts that helped to illuminate the lives of the Wing family through the ages. In the 17th century, the house was once part of the Quaker village in Sandwich and the Wing Family was one of the prominent Quaker families in town. You can learn more about the Quaker Meetinghouse in Sandwich HERE.
The Wing Fort House is open June 15 to September 15, Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
To log this geocache on opencaching.us, the password is Quakers.