According to local tradition, the house at 5 Elm Street in Harvard was built c. 1740 by Benjamin Nourse at the time of his marriage to his second wife, the widow Hannah Atherton. It may also have been built c. 1755 or c. 1800 by John Nourse. In 1833 the house was bought by John Farwell, who owned a large meat and farm produce business and was also a teamster, a lumber dealer, and dealt in real estate. He served as town selectman in 1854 and as assessor from 1860 to 1863.