The John Balch House at 448 Cabot Street dates to approximately 1636, making it one of the oldest surviving wood-frame houses in the United States. John Balch was among the original Puritan settlers who arrived at Cape Ann in 1623 and later relocated to what became Beverly. The structure has been preserved and is operated as a house museum.
The building shows First Period New England construction: massive timber framing, small casement windows, and a steeply pitched roof. Stepping inside gives a visceral sense of how cramped and dark domestic life was for 17th-century settlers, even relatively prosperous ones. The house is a short walk north along Cabot Street from the downtown concentration of historic sites. Check with the Beverly Historical Society for seasonal opening hours before visiting.