1771 House
The 1771 House is a historic structure located directly behind the Worthington Meeting House and is owned by the Berlin Historical Society. Acquired in 2017, the house and its surrounding grounds are an integral part of the Worthington Meeting House Campus. Today, the 1771 House supports research, collections storage, and public programming, while also providing amenities for outdoor events. The site includes landscaped grounds and Esther’s Garden, a butterfly garden created in honor of longtime owner Esther Woodruff.
In December 2017, the Berlin Historical Society purchased the small home directly behind the Worthington Meeting House from the estate of Esther Woodruff. Esther Woodruff had long believed that her home and its 1.4 acres should become part of the meeting house property, providing open space and parking due to its close proximity.
The purchase was made possible through a bequest from the Estate of Myrna Pauloz, daughter of Ruby Nye Morse, a founding member of the Berlin Historical Society. Subsequent research indicates that the original portion of the house was moved to the site from another location in the early 1800s. Based on architectural evidence and similarities to other known “Sabbath Day” houses, the Society believes the structure was built in 1771, a name that has since been adopted for the building.
Since its acquisition, volunteers have contributed expertise, labor, and materials to restore the front room and kitchen to their 18th-century appearance. Today, the 1771 House provides a kitchen and restroom for outdoor events, a dedicated library room, climate-controlled storage, and additional museum space. The surrounding grounds feature landscaped specimen trees and shrubs, as well as a butterfly garden created in honor of Esther Woodruff.
The front room interior of the 1771 House after Berlin Historical Society acquisition.
