This page is part of a collection of older documents about the genealogy of the Spofford/Spafford/Spofforth family, maintained for historical reference. Some content and links may be outdated. Original author: Robert A. Spafford.
According to the SPOFFORD/SPAFFORD genealogy, published in 1888 (See Item #1, Family References), the original immigrant, John Spofford, and his wife, Elizabeth, left the original settlement of Rowley in 1669 and removed about 15 miles to the almost unbroken wilderness in the western part of the town (then Rowley, now a part of Georgetown). There he leased land on Spofford’s Hill (now known as Bald Pate Hill), built the house shown above and farmed for several years until about two years before his death in 1678. The property and house were then assigned to his sons, John (Jr.) and Samuel. The ‘Old Farm,’ as it became known, was then subsequently occupied for about the next 150 years by various members of more recent generations of the family. During that time portions of the original property were apparently sold or leased to outside interests. The portion of land on which the ‘Old Mansion’ stood was purchased in 1851 by Sewell Spofford and in 1888 was owned by his son, Charles Sewell Spofford. While the house was standing at the time of the 1888 reunion, being one of the main interests of the many descendants attending that gathering, it has since been destroyed. A golf course presently covers much of the original site.