Josiah Bartlett home is unique among the signers

The homes of the 56 signers of the Declaration have aged in different ways since 1776.  Some have been taken over by preservation societies, some have undergone extensive renovations, some are open to the public, others are in private hands, and some no longer exist.

But one of the existing homes of the signers has a unique distinction.  It is the home of Josiah Bartlett, located in Kingston, New Hampshire.  Of the existing signer homes, Bartlett’s home is the only one that has been lived in continuously, since 1776, by his descendants. The home has been generously opened for school children and other visitors by the current owner, DSDI member Ruth Albert.  I first learned of the existence of the DSDI when Ruth invited Lee and me to visit the home in 1987.  Ruth opened the home recently for a DSDI meeting, and for a recent gravesite marking ceremony.

The home is now up for sale.  A monument stands on the front lawn of the home. The home faces the Kingston town green, and is across the street from the cemetery where Bartlett is buried with his wife Mary in a tomb marked by the DSDI and other patriotic societies.  Several members of Bartlett’s family are buried nearby.

Josiah Bartlett was the second signer of the Declaration of Independence, and the first signer of The Articles of Confederation.

Thornton C. Lockwood

Descendant of Josiah Bartlett