The Reverend Jonathan Townsend House (1720) The Townsend House, also known as The Old Manse, was built for the first minister of the First Parish (Unitarian) Church. At the time it was built, the house stood near the old town center (the intersection of Nehoiden Street and Central Avenue), and was a center of town activity. Needham's East Militia Company assembled at the house before marching out to Lexington in 1775. Throughout the Revolutionary War, the Militia's weapons and gunpowder were hidden there -- a safe place, since the British would not suspect the minister of hiding guns. A third story and mansard roof were added in the 1850s. The house is still standing on Central Avenue; it is set back from the road on a long driveway, but can be readily identified by the "1720" painted on the chimney.
The picture below was taken of the house sometime before 1875, and shows how it looked when it was first built.
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