The Old Garrison House
105 Garrison Road
The Old Garrison House was one of 19 British garrisons in Chelmsford in the year 1691. A garrison is a building that is occupied by troops in a town to defend it, and the British soldiers were garrisoned there to make sure that the colonists were loyal to the king and to protect the area from the Native Americans.
The house was used as a family dwelling until the 1950s- over those 300 years, only three families owned the house- the Adams family owned it first, then the Heywood family, and the McCormick family owned it last. The Chelmsford Garrison House Association was made in 1959 to restore the house, which Mrs. McCormick sold.
Another feature at the house is the blacksmith shop, which was originally located in South Chelmsford. Marcus D. Byam built the shop, and after the Civil War his son, Daniel P. Byam, took over. The shop became known as a “Sleigh, Sled and Wagon Repository”, where sleds used for hauling loads of wood in winter were manufactured and repaired. The building was passed through the family until Eleanor Parkhurst gave the building to the Garrison House- it was moved there in 1977. You can also find the McCormick craft house, a summer kitchen and a barn here.
Currently, the Garrison house is being used for informational programs for children in the public schools, as well as other events, many of them open to the public. To learn more, click the link down below!