C. 1710–1820  ·  HISTORIC BUILDING

Named for the Reverend John Ward — the first minister of the town of Haverhill — this house originally stood on his property, though it was likely home to tenant farmers who worked his fields. The original structure was built around 1710, and a parlor was added around 1820, nearly doubling the size of the home.

Today the house is furnished with reproduction tinware, cookware, redware, barrels, and textiles, bringing the sights and textures of early American domestic life back to vivid detail. The 19th-century hearth is fully functional and is used for hearth cooking demonstrations, one of the museum’s most beloved seasonal programs.

The John Ward House is a central part of Buttonwoods’ educational programming — school children, scouts, and program visitors gather here to explore what daily life looked like for the earliest English settlers in the Merrimack Valley. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Haverhill Historical Society Historic District.