Captain Samuel Robbins House c 1820 Avon MA Tour a Federal Era Gem History Bites New England

Built in 1820, the Captain Samuel Robbins house is located in the town of Avon, about 20 miles south of Boston. Formerly part of Stoughton, the town was incorporated in 1888 and takes its name from the English town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of English playwright William Shakespeare, hence the appearance of the bard in the town's seal. This two-and-a-half story federal period house was built by Master Mariner Samuel V. Robbins. Captain Robbins sailed in the West Indian and European merchant service of Samuel Draper of Boston, Massachusetts. Upon construction, the house was located in the center of the village of East Stoughton, now the town of Avon. The house was built on land belonging to Robbins' wife, Sally Loring, who had inherited the land from her seagoing father. While Avon was a good day's journey from his ship's mooring in Boston, Captain Robbins would be away for months in the course of his merchant duties. At 10 knots, a sailing ship required over two weeks to make the journey from America to Europe. These ovens were versatile cooking tools capable of baking bread, roasting meat, and cooking stews and soups. They were heated by placing burning wood or coals inside, and once the desired temperature was reached, the embers were removed and the food was placed inside to cook. The enclosed nature of the oven trapped the heat and moisture, resulting in flavorful and tender dishes. Fireplace cranes made cooking more efficient and safer. One could hang a cooking pot over the fire, utilizing the cooking arm to adjust the temperature inside the pot. Not only was this a better method for cooking, it was also safer when it was time to remove the pot from the fire, as the crane could be swung out to the hearth. Beyond its practical use, the ceremonial hanging of an iron crane symbolized the making of a home by a pair of newlyweds. According to the House Museum, both Samuel V. Robbins and his wife, Sally Loring, trace their ancestry to England of the 1640s. 18th and 19th century marriage, birth, baptism, and burial records of the Massachusetts towns of Plymouth and Plimpton have references to the Robbins and Loring families. The Lorings were shipbuilders in Duxbury, Massachusetts and on the North River in neighboring Marshfield. Sally was born in Plympton, the daughter of Jacob and Lydia Tilson Loring. Her husband Samuel was from Plymouth and was also raised in a seafaring family. Samuel Robbins and Sally Loring were married in Plympton in 1833. They had two children, George Washington Robbins and John V. Robbins. Both sons were raised in this house. In the late 1850s, John V. Robbins moved to Wisconsin where he owned a large farm. His brother George had graduated from a New Haven military academy and joined his brother in 1858. At the military academy, George had obtained the rank of captain of cadets before leaving to become superintendent of his brother's 1300-acre farm. At the outbreak of the Civil War, George was commissioned as lieutenant colonel in the 8th Regiment. Robbins' regiment took part in the assault on Vicksburg and was present when the Confederate army surrendered on July 4, 1863. In October 1863, Robbins was honorably discharged after suffering two major injuries. He left the service holding the rank of colonel and returned to East Stoughton where he established himself in a livery business that traveled from Avon to Boston. This book was used by veterans of the Civil War such as Colonel George Washington Robbins to list their service during the war. No mention of the 8th Wisconsin should be made without referring to Old Abe, a bald eagle who served with the Volunteer Infantry Regiment and, according to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, participated in over 30 battles, narrowly avoiding wounds on several occasions. Named in honor of Abraham Lincoln, Old Abe became a rallying point to Union troops and a curse to Confederate soldiers who set bounties on the eagle, dubbing him the Yankee Buzzard. Old Abe's service to the Union resulted in widespread fame. After the war, the Barnum Circus offered $20,000 to buy him, but the 8th Wisconsin decided that he should be given to the state government of Wisconsin. Old Abe appeared at various reunions and it is estimated that, by the sale of his photos, at least $100,000 was added to the Grand Army of the Republic's funds. According to William F. Hannah in his book, The History of Avon, a writer who passed through East Stoughton during the early 19th century described it as a dull, drinking, drowning corner, a few old houses, and a country store retailing on long credits, codfish, mackerel, molasses, and New England rum. But even as these unflattering words were being written, Hannah adds, the tiny village of East Stoughton, which would later become Avon, stood on the eve of dynamic industrial change. The farmer's model has wooden clockworks, which were less expensive than brass clockworks. This clock will run for 30 hours with one winding. This room would have been used by the hostess to entertain female guests. The middle of the room hides large doors that could be closed to make two separate pollers, one for the ladies and one for the gentlemen. The ladies would have sat in the parlor to talk, read, or enjoy crafts such as knitting, stitching, and rolling yarn. They also may have enjoyed a sip of wine and discussed the politics of the day. This room would have been used by the gentleman to socialize while enjoying a libation, a cigar, or a pipe, and discussing the issues of the day. This small, hinged brass container used to house crickets. The tradition of keeping crickets as pets dates back to ancient China. Crickets were kept in boxes and cages for their song and were considered to bring good luck. In 1846, the Baptist Church, which is located across the street from the Robbins House, erected a new building with the help of the crew from Captain Samuel Robbins' ship, Sharon. The sides of the church, according to the Robbins House Museum, was put together flat on the ground, pulled erect, and then nailed together. The steeple was the last section to be hauled into place. Before construction of the church was completed, Captain Robbins led a trip on the Sharon, carrying lumber and cotton from Savannah, Georgia to Hamburg, Germany. Mid-Atlantic hurricane weather doomed the Sharon, and all hands were lost two days out of Savannah, including Captain Samuel V. Robbins. Following her husband's death, Sally Robbins remained in the house and developed land nearby. Robbins Street in Avon was named after her family. The family homestead was sold in 1882. Sally and Samuel's son, Colonel George Washington Robbins, and his wife, Deborah, and their three daughters lived close to the homestead. George was involved in town politics and became a member of Avon's first board of selectmen and its first chairman in 1888, when the town separated from Stoughton.