Coffin House
Newbury, Massachusetts
1678
Coffin House was occupied by the Coffin family over three centuries, and provides fascinating insight into domestic life in rural New England. The structure, which contains the family's furnishings, began as a simple dwelling built in the post-medieval style. Tristram Coffin and his family lived, cooked, and slept in two or possibly three rooms; their possessions were few.
Beginning in 1712, the house more than doubled in size to provide living space for a married son and his family. As the family grew, they added partitions and lean-tos so that different generations could continue to live together under one roof.
In 1785, two Coffin brothers legally divided the structure into two separate dwellings, each with its own kitchen and living spaces. With rooms from the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, Coffin House depicts the impact of an expanding economy and new concepts, such as the notion of privacy, on architecture and modes of living.
Please visit nearby Swett-Ilsley House, Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, and Dole-Little House.
Visit Coffin House
Open
First and third Saturdays, June 1 - October 15
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tours on the hour. Last tour at 4:00 p.m.
Admission
$5 adults
$4 seniors
$2.50 students
Free for Historic New England members and Newbury residents. Become a member.
Location and directions
Coffin House
14 High Road
Newbury, Mass. 01951
Directions detail: The Coffin House is on Route 1A in Newbury, across from the First Parish Burying Ground.
Parking: On-street parking is permitted for short periods of time.
Contact Coffin House
Telephone: 978-462-2634
Contact Coffin House by e-mail.
More about Coffin House
History
Collections on Display
Member Discounts on the North Shore
Group Tours
100 Years, 100 Communities Project: North Bennet Street School Partnership
School and Youth Programs
Frequently Asked Questions
Related links
Escapes North
Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce
Newburyport Today
