Josiah Day House Additional History

The house is listed as having been built in 1754 by Josiah Day. This is based on one brick on the east end that has a date of 1754. The date is pressed in, probably with a finger, while the clay was moist. During the infancy of the Josiah Day House, West Springfield was still part of Springfield, Massachusetts and was required to abide by the rules and laws of the City of Springfield. It was not until 1774 that West Springfield was incorporated as a town, and formed its own government. At the time of the incorporation, West Springfield included the land that is now Agawam and Holyoke. This remained until those communities were formed several years later. Residents prior to 1774, as were all other English-speaking colonists along the Atlantic coast, were subjects of King George III of England. They used English money (pounds, shillings, pence). Due to limited funds, people of that time typically did a great deal of bartering, trading their goods in exchange for the needed goods produced or owned by others. The King appointed the Governors, Court, and high officials. The Day property was already an established farm, with buildings, orchards, etc. It was originally the ministerial home lot of the first minister of the First Parish, John Woodbridge. The house still resides on its original foundations, unlike many historical buildings, which were moved from other places.

The Josiah Day House was continuously occupied by four (4) generations of Day family members from 1754 to 1902. With each generation came “modernizations” of the house. While all artifacts are appropriate to the time period of occupancy, they do include many of the "modernizations" in furnishings and appliances. This explains why many facets of the house do not reflect a 1754 appearance. It should be noted that people of that time were very efficient and practical, and made excellent reuse of materials. It is believed that some of the wood used on the walls of the kitchen may actually date back to the late 17th or early 18th century. It would have been common to use wood, nails, or other materials from a previous dwelling that had been torn down, and reuse them. The same would occur with clothing, as an old housedress would have been cut up to make quilts, towels, or other items.

During the early years, while still a part of Springfield, people living on the “west” side of the river were required by law to attend Sunday church services and had to cross the Connecticut river to do so. Wooden bridges had not yet been developed, and the task of crossing the river was rather difficult and often dangerous. Boats were used to transport people as well as live stock and goods to the city. It was not until 1816 that the first wooden bridge was built, and transportation across the river became much easier. When visiting the Kitchen Bedroom room (Borning Room), you can see some of the photos of the bridge on the wall.

It is interesting to know that during a census taken in 1790, West Springfield had about 147 families, totaling about 900 people.

After the Day family decided to sell the house in 1902, a group of people in West Springfield felt the house should be preserved, for even then it was recognized as a choice antique, so they organized as the Ramapogue Historical Society, raised some money and borrowed additional money from the town to buy the house. They were incorporated July 1, 1903 with twelve charter members.

The house was opened to the public in the spring of 1904, and included a “Tea social” for visitors to the house. The house is still owned and maintained by the Society, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.