John Nelson House at Minute Man National Historical Park
The John Nelson House (aka Josiah Nelson House) is located in the Battle Road Unit of Minute Man National Historical Park. If coming to see the house by vehicle, park at either the Minute Man Visitor Center or the Paul Revere Capture Site—the house is about a quarter mile from either parking lot. If you are hiking or biking the Battle Road Trail, you will arrive behind the house and must walk to the front to get a look. The house is not open to the public, but you are welcome to walk around the grounds.
While the John Nelson House is part of Minute Man National Historical Park, it was not around during the American Revolution. The main part of the house, which has brick side walls, was built in 1808 by Josiah Nelson Jr. on his father’s property. However, the section on the northeast side (right side if looking at the front of the house) was an existing structure from the 1700s, which is why the house is now part of the park. Josiah built a new house and connected the two.
When Josiah Nelson Sr. died in 1810, his land was divided among his heirs. The house Josiah built was split between he and his brother John, and each was given land surrounding their side of the house. John got the west side, and according to tax records, he enlarged his portion of the house sometime between 1818 and 1821. This most likely was the northwest addition. The 3D rendered satellite image below shows the entire house.
John Nelson House
When Josiah Jr. died in 1835, his half of the house was inherited by his children. He had been declared insane around 1826, and his much of his land was sold off to pay his debts, but he retained a one-third ownership in the house until his death. John must have acquired an extra third in the property sale, for tax records from 1840 list him as a two-thirds owner.
John’s son, George, purchased the third from the heirs of his Uncle Josiah in 1846, and when his father died in 1859, he became the sole owner of the house and property. The house remained in the Nelson Family until the 1970s when Newton Nelson, the grandson of George Nelson, sold it to the National Park Service for inclusion in Minute Man National Historical Park.
There is a barn located on the west side of the house that was also constructed in stages. The original three-bay English-style barn was built between 1821 and 1824 by John Nelson. Additions were made to it around 1835, 1870, and 1900. The barn is currently used for storage by the National Park Service.
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Last updated on September 5, 2023
