No. 5162 Painting of the Minot House, Chickatawbut Street, on the face of a brick from the house
Edward A. Huebener, a former Board member of the Dorchester Historical Society, was a collector of materials relating to Dorchester history including a very large collection of graphic materials, including prints and photographs, now owned by the Society. His very own contribution to this group of materials was the idea of taking a brick from a house that had been demolished and asking a local illustrator to paint a picture of the house upon the brick. The painted bricks may be viewed at the Dorchester Historical Society.
The Minot property was located on Neponset Avenue near Chickatawbut Street.
The Minot House built by George Minot was among the oldest in the town, probably built about 1640. Josselyn, writing in 1663, on the occasion of his second voyage to New England, mentions it among others.
No. 5258 Detail from 1874 Hopkins atlas, showing the Minot property as it existed at that time (large green section).
The Rev. Samuel J. Barrows of the First Parish wrote that the first houses of settlers were probably simple cabins covered with thatch. As the colony grew, these soon gave way to more comfortable and pretentious structures, but still characterized by what we should consider to-day [1880] a barn-like simplicity. The exact date of construction is unknown but we know it was destroyed by fire in November 1874. Though to all external appearance nothing but a wooden house, its frame was filled in solidly with brick, either for greater durability or perhaps to render the walls bullet-proof.
No. 2889 Scan of a woodcut reproduced in The Memorial History of Boston, 1630-1880, edited by Justin Winsor. Boston: Ticknor and Company, 1880. Vol. 1.
Hayward s Gazetteer 1839: Among the first settlers of Dorchester was George Minot, a ruling elder of the church for thirty years. He erected a dwelling-house in that part of Dorchester where the pleasant village of Neponset now stands. That house is now standing, and its doubtless one of the oldest houses in the country. It is in good repair, and has ever remained in possession of Mr. Minot s lineal descendants. Mr. Minot died December 24, 1671, aged 78.
No. 3643 Scan of electro-type on a page removed from Antique Views of Ye Towne of Boston.
Elder George Minot, the builder of the house, was one of the first settlers of the town, and he owned the land which has been known as Squantum. He was made a freeman in 1634, and was a representative to the General Court in1635 and 1636. He was a contemporary with Elder Humphrey, and it is said that the following lines were once to be found in the Old Burying Ground:
Here lie the bodies of the Unite Humphrey and Shining Minot,
Such names as these, they never die not.
No. 2384 Minot House, late 19th century. Photograph in the collection of the Dorchester Historical Society.
This house is more celebrated for the female heroism displayed within its walls, than for its antiquity. A party of Narraganset Indians, hunting on the borders of Neponset river, stopped at elder Minot s house and demanded food and drink. On being refused they threatened vengeance, and the sachem, or chief of the party, left an Indian in ambush to watch an opportunity to effect it. Soon after, in the absence of all the family, except a young woman and two small children, the Indian attacked the house and fired at the young woman, but missed his mark. The girl placed the children under two brass kettles and bade them be silent. She then loaded Mr. Minot s gun and shot the Indian in the shoulder. He again attacked the house, and in attempting to enter the window, the girl threw a shovel full of live coals into his face and lodged them in his blanket. On this the Indian fled. The next day he was found dead in the woods. The Indian s name was Chickataubut, but not the Narraganset sachem of that name. The government of Massachusetts Bay presented this brave young woman with a silver wristband, on which her name was engraved, with this motto, — “She slew the Narrhaganset hunter.”
No. 4969 Scan from The Pilgrim Shore by Edmund H. Garrett. Boston: Little, Brown, 1900. Fanciful drawing.
No. 4968 Scan from The Pilgrim Shore by Edmund H. Garrett. Boston: Little, Brown, 1900. Fanciful drawing.