Built in 1809 for Major Timothy Jackson (1756-1814) and his family, the Jackson Homestead is in Newton, Mass.

A veteran of the Revolutionary War, Jackson became Brigade Major of the Middlesex Brigade in 1793, went on to be a Justice of the Peace, and served as a State Representative from 1797 until his 1814 death. He was involved in numerous other public affairs.

Jackson made lucrative money in a Boston soap and candle business that he started with other partners in 1802.

Timothy’s son, William (1783–1855), “became a prominent local politician, serving in the General Court and chairing Newton’s Board of Selectmen,” says the official website. “William and his second wife, Mary Bennett, had 12 children, yet William took the time—at personal, political, and financial risk—to become an abolitionist who offered his house as a way station on the Underground Railroad.”

The Jackson family owned the home until 1949. Finally, descendant Frances Middendorf gave it to the town of Newton.

It now hosts the Newton History Museum, showcasing permanent and rotating historical exhibits about Newton and the Underground Railroad.

A wealth of detailed history about the family and the homestead can be found here.