This article lists the oldest buildings in the United States and its territories. The list includes sites in current states and territories which were not part of the original Thirteen Colonies when the United States of America was founded in 1776.
750 – Pueblo construction began in AD 750, and ended around 1300 AD with the third era of the Pueblo people.
Villages
Majority of settlements abandoned, but some very well preserved. Buildings have been within the United States since the Mexican Cession of 1848 or the Gadsden Purchase of 1854.
800 – "During the middle and late 800s, the great houses of Pueblo Bonito, Una Vida, and Peñasco Blanco were constructed, followed by Hungo Pavi, Chetro Ketl, Pueblo Alto, and others."[1]
Residential, villages, city
"The cultural flowering of the Chacoan people began in the mid 800s and lasted more than 300 years."[1]
Said to be the oldest continuously inhabited site in the United States. Buildings have been within the United States since the Mexican Cession of 1848.
The latte stone structure is believed to have been the home of a Chamorro chief. The structure has been on US territory since 1978 when the Northern Mariana Islands became a US commonwealth.
Part of the San Juan National Historic Site. Construction started in 1539, with extensive additions over the centuries. Building has been within the U.S. since 1898 when Puerto Rico was annexed.
Oldest building used as a city hall in Puerto Rico, first built as the Cabildo de Puerto Rico. Built in stages between 1604 and 1789. The façade dates to 1840.
Currently located on the property at 53 Jeffrey's Neck Rd where it was moved in the twentieth century from another location: "originally located at 88-90 High Street [where it was] the earliest of the three First Period structures on the site, dating to before 1646"; House is believed to date from 1646.[17]
Oldest windmill built in the United States.[21] Originally built on Cape Cod, it was moved to The Henry Ford museum's Greenfield Village outdoor complex in the 1920s.
One of the oldest timber-frame houses in America. The oldest part of the house was built between 1640 and 1653 by Joseph Loomis, who came to Connecticut Colony from England in 1638. Later additions to the Loomis house were made around the turn of the 18th century. It is now a part of the Loomis Chaffee School.
Purportedly the oldest extant European-built house in the southeastern United States. Built by Thomas Allen either c. 1640[24] or c. 1660[25] on land granted to him by Governor Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr. The small center portion of what is now a much larger structure, it was primarily constructed with Flemish bond brickwork. Corroborative dating efforts have not been performed. It has always been a private residence. It is located in the Broad Bay Colony part of northeastern Virginia Beach.[26]
Oldest portion of home dates to circa 1660 and was birthplace of General William Whipple, Signer of the Declaration of Independence; located at 88 Whipple Road[27][28] Possibly the oldest house in Maine.
Considered one of the most important works of religious architecture in Puerto Rico.[29] The church has been on US territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
Ambrose Gale lived here in 1692. Gale, his daughter, Charity Pitman, testified against Wilmott Redd, who was hanged during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692.[30]
Allegedly the second oldest house in the City of Salem, located in the Chestnut Street District and operated as a non-profit museum by Historic New England. The house is rarely open to the public, though private tours can be arranged.
Located at 465 Bacon's Castle Trail, this is perhaps the oldest intact building with satisfactorily credible age authentication still standing in the Commonwealth of Virginia (and perhaps the entire Southeastern region of the US) and one of the oldest brick buildings still standing in the United States. If Broad Bay Manor's age is authenticated, it could predate Bacon's Castle by up to 25 years.
Only extant house in Plymouth occupied by Pilgrims. John Howland and his wife, Elizabeth Tilley Howland, who both came over on the Mayflower, spent their winters here with their son, Jabez, one of their ten children. Also a National Historic Landmark.[38]
In May 1668, Joseph Carpenter of Rhode Island negotiated with the Matinecock Indians to purchase several hundred acres of land on which to build a saw mill and grist mill in what was then Musketa Cove. Robert Coles was one of the "Five Proprietors of the Musketa Cove Patent" and was the first to build his homestead at what is now 34 The Place. He and his wife, Mercy Wright of Oyster Bay, had nine children and lived in the eastern-most wing of the existing property which still stands today.[39]
The Abraham Manee House, also known as the Manee–Seguine Homestead, is a three-part Colonial Dutch dwelling similar to the Billiou–Stillwell–Perine House in Old Town, and was designated a New York City landmark in 1984.
Also, known as Tuttle House (103 High Street). The House is dated from 1670/71.[40] Dendrochronology dating it from the 1670s with some earlier beams and bracing, and possibly an earlier construction date.[41]
Located on Charter Street behind the Peabody Essex Museum, the oldest continually operated museum in America. The house abuts the Witch Memorial and is also next to the second oldest burying ground in America. The house is private, owned by the Peabody Essex Museum and not open for tours.
Also called the Jonathan Corwin House, this was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin[45] and is the only structure still standing in Salem, Massachusetts with direct ties to the Salem witch trials of 1692.[46] Even though Jonathan Corwin's descendants claim the house was built in 1642, most historians now believe the house was built c. 1675.[47] The house, located in the Chestnut Street District, is now a museum operated by the City of Salem and is open seasonally.
The oldest part of the house was built about 1675 with an addition made in 1696. It is currently owned by the Winthrop Improvement and Historical Association and is open to visitors by appointment.
In 2005 a dendrochronology test determined that the earliest surviving part of the house was actually built in 1677. A major addition of roughly equal size was built in 1690, and there are various later additions.
Recorded in the National Register of Historic Places. The house is now operated by the Danvers Historical Society and open by appointment. Once thought to date from 1648, tree-ring dating has since proved otherwise.
Built about 1678 and altered several times during the 18th century, it is one of the Connecticut's oldest surviving buildings, and provides a virtual catalog of early construction methods due to its state of preservation.[49]
Built by Tristram Coffin, Jr., in 1678, the property remained within the Coffin family until acquired by Historic New England in 1929. It is now a museum.
John Balch received the deed to the land on which the house sits in 1635; the building was constructed by Balch's son and grandson in 1678/1679,[51] and is one of the oldest continuously privately deeded properties in the United States. The original structure in the front dates to 1679, while the back half addition is dated to 1721;.[51]
Fort originally built by the Danish, oldest building in the US Virgin Islands. Has been on US soil since the 1917 purchase of the Virgin Islands from Denmark.
The older, north section, dates to around 1680 and was the home of John Hurd, who became the town's miller in 1681. The south section, which may have originally been the home of Hurd's son, was added to the older structure in 1718, to increase the overall size of the house.
Also known as the Appleton House. This was part of the Saugus Iron Works, which was a major industrial complex. It has been restored and is open to the public.
The Sgt. George Flint House is owned by the North Reading Historical and Antiquarian Society, which also owns the Rev. Daniel Putnam House in North Reading (built in 1720).
One room in the house dates to 1685 c. 1685, possibly oldest in Middlesex County. House was expanded, most recently in the 19th century, and is also known as Lakeview
Originally a residence, then tavern with other uses. Oldest frame house still standing in Pennsylvania. Famous as the site of the 1778 Newtown Skirmish during which Loyalists killed 5 and captured 16 to acquire cloth being manufactured for use by General George Washington's troops at Valley Forge. Now a private residence.[citation needed]
Built by John Woodward in what is now the Waban neighborhood, this is one of the oldest homes in Newton. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Located in the San Germán Historic District, this parish church was built in 1688. The church has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
Reverend James Noyes left Wiltshire, England, with his brother, Nicholas Noyes and cousin, Thomas Parker, bound for the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid-1630s and built this house, which still stands, in 1646.
The builder was a descendant of one of the original founders of Stamford. The structure is owned and maintained as a museum by the Stamford Historical Society.
Possibly the oldest building in South Carolina. It was a plantation built by a French Huguenot Benjamin Simons in 1699 on the Cooper River near Huger, South Carolina.
One of the oldest houses in Pennsylvania. Built by a Quaker family. A National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Hosmer Homestead, also known as the Hosmer/Baker Farm, is an historic house at 138 Baker Avenue in Concord, Massachusetts. The oldest portion of this 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame house was probably built c. 1707–1710 by Stephen Hosmer, based on architectural evidence. The property has a long association with the Hosmer family, who were early settlers of Concord and who have played a significant role in the growth and civic life of the town. The house interior has well-preserved Georgian woodwork and plaster.
The Cornet John Farnum Jr. House was the site of the first Uxbridge Town Meeting in 1727. The house today is a museum and headquarters of the Uxbridge Historical Society. It is an excellent example of early New England colonial architecture.
The Randall–Hale Homestead is a historic First Period house at 6 Sudbury Road in Stow, Massachusetts. The oldest portion of this 2+1⁄2-story timber-frame house was built c. 1710.[79] One of the oldest surviving homes in Stow, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.[80]
Said to be the oldest church structure built in the United States. The original adobe walls and altar were built by the Tlaxcalan of Mexico, but much of the structure was rebuilt in 1710. Building has been within the United States since the Mexican Cession of 1848.[81]
A rare brick house of the period. A story passed down in the Chase family says that bricks for the house were made on the family's farm and carried to the job site by Hannah Chase in her apron.
Headquarters of the North Reading Historical and Antiquarian Society. The society also owns the Sgt. George Flint House in North Reading, which was built prior to 1684.
The Jonathan Young Windmill is a restored, working early eighteenth-century windmill with its original machinery intact, located next to Town Cove in Orleans.[84]
One of the oldest houses in Orange County, New York. Built by early settlers William Bull and Sarah Wells; continuously owned by Bull family descendants.
Probably constructed between 1723 and 1790.[87] Oldest house in St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied city in the continental United States.[88]
Oldest public building in Pennsylvania. Served as Chester County Courthouse from 1724 until 1795, the Delaware County Courthouse from 1795 until 1850, and Chester Borough/City Hall from then until sometime in the 20th century. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
The Alamo Chapel and Priests quarters and convent (Long Barracks) in San Antonio. In the center of the surrounding area are the remains of the "Long Barracks" which were constructed 20 years before the chapel. Founded in 1718 and moved to present site 1724.
Built in 1725 by the town saddler, Reuben Brown. There is also a strong tradition that the house was the home of Peter Bulkeley, which is why the house is often referred to as the Peter Bulkeley / Reuben Brown House. The evidence is still unclear whether or not the Bulkeleys did build the house some 300 years ago. What historians can conclude, however, is that the house was either completely updated or built by Reuben Brown in 1725, since most of the house's present features are typical of houses from 1700 to 1730.
Built in 1726 by the French as a "house of peace". Taken by the British in 1759, the fledgling United States regained control by treaty in 1796. It was lost to the British in 1813, but was relinquished as a result of the Treaty of Ghent, and has remained in the hands of the United States ever since.
The house was built by James Smith, a recent Irish immigrant. His son, Captain Robert Smith, who commanded one of the militia companies from Needham engaged in the fighting the day of the Battle of Concord Bridge, may have been born and lived here.
One of the oldest houses in Old Deerfield, although extensively remodeled in the 19th century. The original area of Deerfield has been preserved and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Until recently considered the oldest house and structure in the city of Albany and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Currently the location of the Olde English Pub & Pantry.
Also known as Las Mercedes Church, this Classical Revival style building was built in 1737. The church has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
Still a private residence. The story passed down is that the large buttonwood tree in front of the house was planted on the day one of the sons in the family marched off to go fight in the Revolutionary War.
Oldest building in Saco. It was actually two houses, one of which was brought over on logs used as rollers, and joined to the other by the industrious Amos Chase to accommodate his large family.
Deacon Thomas Kendall was among the earliest settlers of the area, and an influential member of the community, serving as a selectman, commissioner, and deacon of the church for 36 years. He and his wife, Rebecca, had 10 children, and when she died, at the age of 85, she had 175 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The Humphrey Bradstreet Farm is the second-oldest continuously operating farm in the United States. Humphrey Bradstreet was granted the property in 1635 by King Charles I, and it stayed in the Bradstreet family for the next 372 years, until purchased by the town of Rowley.
Oldest extant building in Wisconsin. Voyageur Joseph Roi built the cottage using the pièce-sur-pièce à coulisse technique, which was once common in French-Canadian architecture.
Home of Virginia Governor Westmoreland Davis. The earliest parts of the structure were built circa 1780 and the building was significantly expanded in the decades that followed. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
One of the few surviving French colonial buildings in Illinois. Oldest continuously active Catholic parish in the United States, and oldest church west of the Allegheny Mountains.
"Oldest brick house in Kentucky," Some sources suggest it was built earlier.[104] Its construction was preceded by that of Sportsman's Hill, "the first horse racing track west of the Appalachians."
Built by Thomas Carpenter III circa 1789 using older materials from a building that was already on the site. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The mansion served as the de facto capitol of the Southwest Territory. In 1796, much of the Tennessee Constitution was drafted in Governor Blount's office at the mansion.
One of the largest plantations in the United States built by and for free people of color. The land was granted to Louis Metoyer (1790), with the "Big House" finished in 1832.
This is the oldest building in Oregon and is believed to have been constructed by fur traders of French Canadian and/or Native American ancestry.[106] The next closest contenders are the Methodist Mission Parsonage c.1841, the Jason Lee House c.1841, the Delaney-Edwards House c.1845, the John McLoughlin House c.1846, and the John D. Boon House c. 1846
The oldest government building in present-day California, and one of the oldest in the western United States. Built by Mexico then won and operated by United States until it was transferred to the State of California in 1901.
Second oldest synagogue in on US soil, and has the longest continuous use as a Jewish congregation in the nation. Has been on US soil since the 1917 purchase of the Virgin Islands from Denmark.
This large adobe ranch house was built by Colonel Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Commandante General of the "Free State of Alta California" (Northern California). Now known as the Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park, it is owned by the State of California and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Oldest surviving church on Oahu. Formerly the national church of the Hawaiian Kingdom and chapel of the royal family. Designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1962.
Allegedly the oldest continuously occupied home in Puerto Rico; home to Ponce De Leon family. Located in San Germán Historic District.[118] The house has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
Oldest surviving church in Oklahoma. Formerly the principal congregation of the Choctaw Nation. Added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1972.[120]
Church school built by the London Missionary Society. First school to be built in what is now American Samoa, and possibly the oldest surviving building in the territory.
^William Thomas Davis, Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth: Part I. Historical Sketch and Titles of Estates. Part II. Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families, Volumes 1-2 (A. Williams, 1887), 177-178
^LOCATING 17TH CENTURY HOMESITES IN DUXBURY: A preliminary Assessment Prepared by Craig S. Chartier, Plymouth Archaeological Rediscovery Project, for The Duxbury Rural and Historical Society
^"Restoring the house of legendary William Whipple" by D. Allan Kerr, Oct 9, 2017
^Old Kittery and Her Families, by Everett Schermerhorn Stackpole, (Lewiston, ME: 1903) pg. 81 - Old Kittery and Her Families, by Everett Schermerhorn Stackpole, (Lewiston, ME: 1903) pg. 81
^William F. McNeil, Visitors to Ancient America (McFarland: 2004), 78.
^Hempstead, Joshua. Diary of Joshua Hempstead of New London, Connecticut: Covering A Period of Forty-Seven Years From September, 1711, to November, 1758. The New London County Historical Society.
^"Home". Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Jethro Coffin House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 6, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
^"Parson Capen House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 6, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
^"Buttolph-Williams House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
^"Oldest House Museum". Florida Heritage Tourism Interactive Catalog. Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs. September 23, 2007. Archived from the original on March 10, 2007.
^Donald Thompson (1990). "Notes on the Inauguration of the San Juan (Puerto Rico) Municipal Theater". Latin American Music Review. 11 (1): 84–91. doi:10.2307/780360. JSTOR780360.
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