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Captain Hayden House
House History
This house was built in the early 1800s for Abishai Hayden when he inherited the land in a gift from his mother. He captained and owned a merchant ship that transported candles and other whale-oil products to Great Britain and returned with textiles and other goods earmarked for Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Over the years many interesting people lived in the house, much the same size as it is today. In fact, the first woman to join her husband (captain) on a whale hunt who was born in this house – the birthing room is now a TV room off the kitchen.
Originally, the house had clapboard siding on the front as it does now, which was the mark of a prosperous homeowner at that time. The interior mahogany banisters and newel posts were built on island over two hundred years ago of imported Cuban Mahogany, which is highly valued and long gone. The ceiling in the living room is 9ft high and exposes the original beams. The “secret” staircase leading from the kitchen to the second floor was typical for these homes to provide a second approach to the bedroom area.
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