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Cooper-Frost-Austin House (1681)

The oldest house in Cambridge (Cambridge, Massachusetts)

Cooper-Frost-Austin House is clearly documented as the oldest dwelling standing in the city of Cambridge. The same family owned it for more than 250 years. Built by Samuel Cooper in 1681, the house is one of the earliest examples of an integral lean-to “half house” consisting of a “low room,” “little room,” “kitchin,” “Chamber,” “kitchin Chamber,” “Garret,” and “Cellar.” Other original features include a pilaster chimney and a façade gable.

Shortly after Samuel Cooper’s death in 1718, his son Walter extended the house to the west, thus completing the main block of the house and presenting the current symmetrical façade. Succeeding generations undertook various alterations to both the interior and exterior. Despite the changes made, the early frame and much original material survives intact.

Plan Your Visit

Location

21 Linnaean Street
Cambridge, Mass. 02138

Days & Hours

Saturday, June 1
Saturday, September 14
Saturday, October 5

Tours at 11AM, 12PM, 1 PM, 2PM

Admission

$10

Accessibility

Tour involves standing, walking, and stairs. Visitors with limited mobility may be able to enjoy a first floor tour of the house and a visual tour of the museum is available. Folding chairs are provided for visitors who would like to use them while on tour. The site is not equipped with ramps, elevators, or lifts. There is no public restroom. Service animals are welcome. We are happy to work with you to make your visit an enjoyable one and we encourage visitors with questions or requests to call ahead.

Directions

Linnaean Street is located off of Massachusetts Avenue, and is within walking distance of the Porter stop on the MBTA Red Line.

Parking

Nonresident metered parking is located on Massachusetts Avenue. Street parking on Linnaean Street is for residents only.

Contact Information

View from Linnaean Street

Recent dendrochronlogy proves that Cooper-Frost-Austin House is the oldest known integral lean-to house in Cambridge.

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  • View from Linnaean Street

    Recent dendrochronlogy proves that Cooper-Frost-Austin House is the oldest known integral lean-to house in Cambridge.

  • Joinery Framing

    The joints of the lean-to framing are made up of two separate lengths.

  • Hall Chamber

    Despite many changes by the generations who inhabited Cooper-Frost-Austin House, much of the original finish detail survives intact.

  • Parlor Chamber

    Paneling and original masonry detail from c. 1720 remain intact in the fireplace.

3-eastelevationwithoriginalsash_-_364_x_253The Cooper-Frost Family

John Cooper emigrated with his family from Suffolk, England, sometime before 1657. Once settled in Massachusetts, he became a deacon at the First Church in Cambridge and held that office from 1668 until his death in 1691. He was prominent in other town affairs including service as a Cambridge selectman. He was sworn into that position on December 15, 1657.

John Cooper’s eldest son Samuel built the house now known as Cooper-Frost-Austin House in 1681. Samuel Cooper, like his father, became a deacon of First Church and served from 1705 to 1718, as well as a town selectman from 1704 to 1716. The house is now one of the earliest surviving examples of an integral lean-to “half house,” consisting of a “low room,” “little room,” “kitchin,” “Chamber,” “kitchin Chamber,” “Garret,” and “Cellar.” Other original features include a pilaster chimney and a façade gable. When Samuel Cooper died on January 8, 1718, he bequeathed the property to his son, Walter.

Shortly after his father’s death in 1718, Walter Cooper (1696-1751) extended the house to the west, thus completing the main block of the house and presenting a symmetrical façade. The earliest remaining window sash in the house dates from Walter Cooper’s ownership. Walter Cooper married Martha Goddard on January 1, 1722. His will, dated September 18, 1751, directed that his wife Martha “should have the West half of the Dwelling house and the liberty of ovens on t’other room” and that his son Walter Cooper Jr. have the “East half of my dwelling house and the New shingles to repair it” together with the western half at the widow’s death. Individual family members occupied two different sides of the house, a common arrangement at the time.

The house descended through the Cooper family until 1788 by a complicated set of property conveyances until it was deeded to Gideon Frost, a grandson of Samuel Cooper, the original builder. Gideon’s parents were Edmund Frost and Samuel’s daughter Hannah Cooper.

5-centerstaircase_-_364_x_253The Frost-Austin Family

Gideon Frost (1724-1803) left the house to his son William, who lived in it until he left the house equally divided between his two daughters, Martha and Sarah (called Aunt Sally), in 1805. Martha Frost, born June 29, 1769, was married to Thomas Austin of Boston on March 22, 1807. Thomas Austin later bought the east half of the house from Aunt Sally as well as the barn and orchard for $500. He set about improving the house and furnishing the interior in newer styles. He constructed a long shed and carriage house at the west end, added an enclosed entry porch, and introduced a Federal-style staircase and similarly styled trim. The outward appearance of the house was brought up to eighteenth-century fashionable standards, without affecting the original seventeenth-century interior structure.

Mrs. Martha Frost Austin died in 1838. Her only child, Susan Austin, married Rev. Reuben Seiders, who had changed his name to Richard Thomas Austin. He was a minister who had graduated Bowdoin College in 1831 and Harvard Divinity School in 1847. Susan Austin died in 1885, leaving the house to a distant relative, Mrs. Martha Frost Kuhn of Boston, a granddaughter of Gideon Frost. Thus Cooper-Frost-Austin House was owned by different branches of one family for more than 250 years.

Property Care - Cooper Frost Austin - 2009.Site Conditions - cfaBecoming a Museum

On May 16, 1913, the newly formed Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, now Historic New England, purchased Cooper-Frost-Austin House from Mrs. Martha Frost Kuhn as its third acquisition with funds raised from friends and members. Historic New England also acquired a portion of land adjacent to Linnaean Street to make the entire parcel approximately one acre. Today, it is a surprising historic house and green space in the midst of a busy urban center.

When the house first opened to the public it was used as a tea room and antiques shop. During the 1930s, Historic New England restored much of the interior and presented the house as a museum. Among the original features that have been revealed by Historic New England is the molded sheathing in the main hall which is firmly dated at 1681-82 and original masonry detail in the fireplaces and chimney. The original portions of Cooper-Frost-Austin House make it one of the oldest known integral lean-to houses in the area.

Because Cooper-Frost-Austin House is a seventeenth-century “lean-to” structure with original fabric intact it is architecturally and historically very significant.

Property FAQs

Find out about parking, photography policy, and more.

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  • What will we see when we visit?

    The tour focuses on the architectural details and history of the house.

  • Where is the best place to park?

    Metered street parking is available on Massachusetts Avenue.

  • Can I take photographs at Cooper-Frost-Austin House?

    Interior and exterior photography for personal use is allowed at Historic New England properties. For the safety and comfort of our visitors and the protection of our collections and house museums, we ask that you be aware of your surroundings and stay with your guide. Video, camera bags, tripods, and selfie sticks are not permitted. Professional/commercial photographers and members of the media should visit the press room for more information.

  • How do I become a member of Historic New England and get more involved?

    Join Historic New England now and help preserve the region’s heritage. Call 617-994-5910 or join online.

  • Do I need to take a tour or can I just look around?

    All visitors to the house receive a guided tour.

  • Do you provide admission discounts for EBT cardholders?

    EBT cardholders from all fifty states can show their card for $2 admission to house tours for up to four guests per card.

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