Hyde-ing In Plain Sight

From Dave Brigham:

I've never had the greatest memory, and it's only gotten worse with age. But I always seem to have room in the back of my brain for backside destinations from years past. I keep a list on my phone for places I want to check out, but sometimes a location pops into my head out of the foggy past. The Gershom Hyde House in Newton, Mass., is such a place.

Built in 1744 and located at 29 Greenwood Street, "the house is one of 12 pre-1800 houses remaining in Newton, of which only a few were built before 1750," per this 1997 Newton Local Landmarks Program report. Look closely at the photo above and perhaps you can figure out my biggest question about this place.

Why is "1727" painted on the chimney?

Before locating the above-referenced landmarks program report, I assumed the number referred to the date the house was built. But it doesn't. Neither is "1727" a street address. So what is it?

I'm not sure, but here's a little perspective on this site, from the landmarks report: "From the late 1600s Jonathan Hyde and his descendants settled in this area of Newton....In 1711 Greenwood Street and Dudley Road were laid out and soon thereafter farms were established....The traditional date for this property is ca. 1744 when Gershom Hyde (1719-1754) is thought to have established a farm at this location."

Perhaps "1727" refers to the date this property came under the Hyde family's control. Or the date of a prior house on the site. Doesn't matter. I love the house and the chimney and the barn next door.

As I said above, I've had this location in a dusty corner of my memory bank for years. I first noticed it while running a half marathon through Newton back in 2010. The race started nearby and I recall being very curious about this old homestead. The site, which is buffered from Newton South High School and its tennis courts by thick woods, has a haunted, Gothic feel to it, especially compared to the modern housing development across the street.

On one occasion in more recent years I drove by to snap some pictures but there was an old guy doing stuff in the yard, and since I'm such an introvert, I cruised on past rather than engage with him. But when my daughter did a camp at the high school over this past summer, I figured I would drive by again before picking her up. This time there was a landscaping truck there, and I spoke briefly with the guy. He said he was doing some repairs on the barn, and that nobody lives in the house now.

The roster of owners over the years included Edward and Phebe Wales, who purchased the farm from Gershom Hyde's grand-nephew, Thaddeus Hyde, Jr., in 1860, per the landmark report cited above. The Wales family started a fruit preserving business at this location. That business thrived and was moved to a different location in Newton.

The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been designated as a Newton Landmark Preservation Site, which provides the highest level of protection for properties deemed to be architecturally or historically significant, per the City of Newton web site.

The Hyde house is located in Newton's Oak hill village. For more about that area, see September 26, 2016, "I Seek Newton, Part V: Oak Hill."