Plan
Historians hold differing opinions about the exact date of Barrett‑Byam Homestead construction. The Board of Directors approved funding for a dendrochronology study at its January 2025 meeting to resolve this.
The Board hired Bill Flynt, a noted dendrochronologist retired from Historic Deerfield, to conduct the study. His work involved sampling and analyzing 10 timbers and logs used in the building’s frame to determine their age. The logs serve as floor joists supporting the west parlor on the first floor. The walls of the first and second floors made the frame inaccessible. Access to the frame timbers had to come from the basement. Fortunately, the basement is extremely dry, and the timbers are in great shape. The Board hoped tree‑ring analysis would determine their age.
Results
Unfortunately, the dendrochronology study was inconclusive due to a variety of factors:
Of the 10 samples taken, only seven were usable. The other three broke apart, making it impossible to determine the last year of growth (LYOG).
The team could not develop a floating master. A floating master would reveal the relationships among the house’s timbers and help researchers determine their ages. It is possible, even probable, that the timbers came from different sawmills. Each mill could have sourced its logs from a different timber stand.
The team tested the samples against multiple regional dated masters, but they found mixed results. Evidence indicates that one timber was cut in 1724 and others in 1811. This finding supports the theory that the original house was built in 1725. A large-scale renovation occurring in the early 19th century. However, there is also evidence of various other dates for these timbers, leaving the results inconclusive.
The Future
Although the study could not determine the homestead’s age at this time, all is not lost. Researchers added the sample data to an international tree‑ring database, a shared repository that holds current and future samples for later analyses. Developers are also creating new software tools that use artificial intelligence to perform more robust analysis. Finally, if future work on the house temporarily exposes the internal framework, the team could collect additional dendrochronology samples.
The Barrett-Byam Homestead is a valuable piece of Chelmsford’s history. This Chelmsford original has many stories to tell. Planting ground of Pennacook Indians, childhood home of an accused witch, home to generations of farmers. Now the home of the Chelmsford Historical Society.
The exact date of construction remains a mystery for another day.