690 Longmeadow Street (#26 The Ebeneezer Bliss House - 1720)

One of the oldest homes on the Green, this clapboard house was built in 1720. In the mid-1800's the large center chimney was replaced by two smaller ones and the front four rooms were added. The original house stands 18 feet behind the present front. When viewed from the side (on Ely Road) one can see the difference in the window heights on the second floor. This is the clue which gives away the "add on" construction. (See also #33 and #48 and compare them.) The newer rooms are more elegant and formal, reflecting a change in taste from the austere life of the 1700's to a more opulent one in the 19th century. Ebeneezer Bliss's ancestors were among the first settlers to Longmeadow. They, along with other early settlers, first made their home along the river on "the Long Meddowe" in 1644. Gad Bliss, grandson to Ebeneezer, was a colorful figure, well known and respected in town. Crippled by arthritis, it took him an hour to walk across the Green to church on Sunday morning. When he could no longer climb the stairs in his home, the southwest first floor bedroom was added for him. This home has witnessed at least 23 births, 11 marriages and 10 deaths in its long and rich history.

[Photo by Rachel Port]
[Text reprinted with permission from The Historic Homes of Longmeadow
©1988 & 2012 Hall/Hayes - All Rights Reserved]

click to view