The Hill Jock House

In 1756 there were three men in Chelmsford named Jonathan Parker. Two lived close to one another (at what is now 134 and 155 Boston Road). The one at 134 Boston road was a trooper and was known as "Trooper Jock".  The other lived in the house on the hill and was known as "Hill Jock"; and of course, his house came to be known as the "Hill Jock House."

A most notable resident of the building was Willard Parker (1800-1884), who owned the place for many years. He moved there with his family when he was about 5 and eventually inherited the home, not selling it until around 1880. He taught school in Chelmsford from 1821 to 1823, before moving to New York City to become an eminent physician. He was one of the founders of the New York Academy of Medicine in 1847 and one of its presidents in 1856. As one of the first health commissioners in New York City, he organized the Alms House at Bellevue, which is now Bellevue Hospital. He was also one of the first surgeons in America to successfully operate on an abscessed appendix.

In 2003, the owner of the property wanted to demolish the historic structure and offered to give it to anyone who was willing to assume the large cost of moving and renovation. Eager to preserve a historic structure, the Garrison House Association was able to preserve the Hill Jock House by relocating it to the Garrison House property. See below to learn more about the timeline and journey this house made to reach its new home at the Garrison House.

The Move

Originally it was hoped that the move would occur in December of 2003, but the house needed some structural repair in order to survive the move. The repairs were not complete until January 2004.

As of Feb 14, 2004, the movers had begun their work. The house was raised about 1 foot above the foundation where it had stood for over 200 years. The photo below shows the house as it looked on Feb 14, 2004.

By March 5, 2004, the house was lowered almost to street level, and the wheels were in place to carry the structure the 3.7 miles to its new location. It was discovered that part of the roof would need to be removed to lower the overall height of the house in order to avoid some of the more difficult-to-move electrical wires along the way. The photo below shows the house as it appeared on March 4. 2004.

On March 29, 2004, the date for the move was set. On April 24, 2004, the Hill Jock house was finally moved. The 4.5 mile journey took nearly 12 hours and caused numerous traffic delays, but the house is now at the "Old Chelmsford" Garrison House museum on Garrison Road, where it has become a permanent part of the museum.

After the structure arrived, extensive renovations were needed before the house could be opened to the public. After nearly 6 years from the initial planning to its final renovations, the Hill Jock House had its grand opening to the public in 2009. We are now happy to have the Hill Jock house open for many of our events.