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The Oliver Wight House is a historic house located on Main Street (U.S. Route 20) in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Built in the 1780s, the house was first occupied by local cabinet maker Oliver Wight and his family. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The Georgian style dwelling was operated as a motor lodge by Old Sturbridge Village until 2006 and has been reopened as a restaurant.〔Gushue, Harold A., Jr. "OSV to close hotel complex ; Cutbacks affect 47-unit Lodges :(Edition )," ''Worcester Telegram & Gazette'', November 3, 2005, (ProQuest ) (accessed April 8, 2011).〕 == History == Oliver Wight was born in Medway, Massachusetts on September 27, 1765. He married Harmony Child in Sturbridge on July 5, 1786, and they had eleven children, ten of whom survived to adulthood.〔Wight, William Ward. ''The Wights: A Record of Thomas Wight of Dedham and Medfield and of his Descendants, 1635-1890'' (Milwaukee: Swain & Tate, printers, 1890) 55, 103. (Link to Google Books )〕 Portraits of Oliver and Harmony Wight, attributed to the Beardsley Limner, can be found in the collections of The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum at Colonial Williamsburg.〔Schloss, Christine Skeeles. ''The Beardsley Limner and Some Contemporaries: Postrevolutionary Portraiture in New England, 1785-1805'' (Williamsburg: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1972) 25. ISBN 0-87935-005-9〕 Oliver Wight died in Sturbridge on October 22, 1837. Oliver Wight acquired his property in Sturbridge from his father, David Wight, and built his house near those of his father and his brothers, David Jr. and Alpheus.〔Hebard, John F. “Snellville and its Manufactures,” ''Quinabaug Historical Society Leaflets'' 2, No. 4 (April 29, 1907) 26.〕 In addition to the house, he constructed a sizable shop on the property, where he engaged in his craft.〔''Massachusetts Spy'' (Worcester, Mass.), April 1, 1795. NewsBank/Readex, America’s Historical Newspapers (accessed April 9, 2011)〕 A cabinet maker by trade, Oliver Wight made chairs, tables, chests of drawers, bedsteads, and other wood furniture. He created pieces on commission and sold his work locally.〔''Massachusetts Spy'' (Worcester, Mass.), May 23, 1793. NewsBank/Readex, America’s Historical Newspapers (accessed April 9, 2011)〕〔Izard, Holly V. “Random or Systematic?: An Evaluation of the Probate Process,” ''Winterthur Portfolio'' 32, No. 2/3 (Summer-Autumn 1997), 151. (JSTOR ) (accessed April 3, 2011)〕 Despite his abilities, he struggled with insolvency for much of his life. An article in the Massachusetts Spy in September, 1793, advertised a public auction of his finished pieces and household goods, as he had “absconded.”〔''Massachusetts Spy'' (Worcester, Mass.), September 5, 1793. NewsBank/Readex, America’s Historical Newspapers (accessed April 9, 2011)〕 His Sturbridge farm was offered for sale in 1795.〔 In 1802, Oliver Wight was declared a bankrupt.〔''Massachusetts Spy'' (Worcester, Mass.), April 21, 1802. NewsBank/Readex, America’s Historical Newspapers (accessed April 9, 2011)〕 Ebenezer Howard, another cabinet maker, bought the property from Oliver Wight and operated it as a tavern. He resided there until his death. Thereafter, George Wight, great grand-nephew of Oliver Wight, occupied the house. It remained in the family until A. B. Wells purchased it in 1937.〔Knowlton, Edward, and Mary Frances Greaney. ''The Wells Family: Founders of the American Optical Company and Old Sturbridge Village'' (Southbridge, Mass.: R. D. Wells, 1979) 2.〕〔Davis, George. ''A Historical Sketch of Sturbridge and Southbridge'' (West Brookfield: O.S. Cooke & Co., 1856) 32. (Google Books )〕〔Wight, ''The Wights'', 266.〕 The Oliver Wight House underwent major renovation of its heating and plumbing systems in 1948, in preparation for becoming a sales and visitor center for Old Sturbridge Village.〔Knowlton and Greaney, ''Wells Family'', 15, 22.〕 In 1950, Wells and his associates decided to make the Oliver Wight House into a motor lodge, and had several motel units built.〔Knowlton and Greaney, ''Wells Family'', 29.〕 It continued in this capacity until 2006, when it was closed to the public.〔 The Oliver Wight House served as temporary office space for the town of Sturbridge while the town hall underwent renovations in 2009. The Oliver Wight House is now open as a tavern (restaurant)〔Ring, Kim. "OSV Lodges area to reopen: Includes 1789 house, guest units," ''Worcester Telegram & Gazette'', November 24, 2012, (Proquest ) (accessed November 25, 2012)〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Oliver Wight House」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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