The Historical Society holds an annual Tag Sale in May and a Christmas Sale in December. The house is open for tours on farmer’s market days and for special events. Check back for specific dates and times.
The Horace Parmelee House
By Thomas L. Lentz, Killingworth Town Historian
The Horace Parmelee House, formerly known as the Bosco house, was built in 1847 and occupied by Horace and Eunice Parmelee. Architecturally, the house is a late example of the post-colonial or Federal style. Horace L. Parmelee was born June 28, 1819, the son of Moses and Ruth Parmelee. Eunice Maria Parmelee was born on August 2, 1822, the daughter of Rufus and Eunice Parmelee. They were married on June 11, 1843 by the Rev. E. Swift. Horace is shown as occupant of the house on the 1859 map of Middlesex County. He died August 5, 1898 and Eunice died November 8, 1905.
In the 1950s, the house was run by the McGrath family as a bed-and-breakfast known as “Farm in the Dell.” A swimming pool (recently filled in), and concrete shuffleboard from this period may still be found on the property. In the 1960s the Bosco family operated a major turkey farm which produced many thousands of free-range turkeys annually. An aluminum-sided and -roofed pole barn and a stone barn with a large walk-in freezer and turkey processing area exist to this day. The property is now owned by the Town of Killingworth and the Municipal Land Use and Parmelee Farm Steering committees are exploring uses for the house and grants for the restoration of the house and barns.
The Board of Selectmen, Municipal Land Use Committee and Parmelee Farm Steering Committee voted in late 2009 to make a formal agreement with Historical Society to allow it to use the house to display and store its artifacts.
On December 8, 2011, the 99-year lease for the Farmhouse and 50-year lease for the adjacent garage were approved at a Special Town Meeting.
On August 25, 2010, the Town and the Historical Society entered into a 99-year lease for the Farmhouse.
In late November 2009, the farmhouse received a new coat of paint and repairs to windows, gutters and clapboards.
The Horace Parmelee House has been submitted for registry under the State Register of Historic Places. A Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Grant has been awarded to the Town of Killingworth for a Feasibility Study for the Parmelee Farmhouse and barn.
Killingworth Historical Society
Ken Wodatch, President
www.killingworthhistorical.org
