Hearth and Eagle House (1750)
In the 1940s, historical novelist Anya Seton‘s research into her ancestry led her to Marblehead, and she based her 1948 novel, The Hearth and Eagle, on the history of the seaside town. She set the novel in the Hearth and Eagle Inn, based on the house at 30 Franklin Street in Marblehead. The house was built c. 1715-1721 by the father of Elbridge Gerry and was enlarged in 1750. It was owned by the captain in command of Fort Sewall during the War of 1812 and soldiers were billeted in the house.
Incorrect information. This house was not built by Gerry’s father, nor did it have a gambrel roof when first built.
Where do I say it had a gambrel roof when first built? It’s tagged as a gambrel roof house because it has one now. The information about it being built by Gerry’s father comes from The Marblehead Driving Tour from Marblehead Magazine (http://www.legendinc.com/Pages/MarbleheadNet/MM/Articles/DrivingTour.html). If they are wrong, please let us know what the true facts are!