One of the reasons this structure on East Street in nearby Dedham is so well-preserved is because of a lurid court case which drained the family coffers and made it impossible for them to add plumbing, electricity, or heat. That means original walls stood. Original doors, closets, and stairs too.

What happened? Jason Fairbanks was accused of murder. A lover’s tiff gone wrong (he claimed his girlfriend had killed herself), followed by a jail break and run across the state up to Lake Champlain where the young Jason hoped to make it to Canada.

He didn’t. He was tried, found guilty, and executed.

Read The Bizarre Jason Fairbanks Murder Case of 1801 for more details.

I’ll start more at the beginning tomorrow.

But one more colorful detail: the last Fairbanks to occupy the residence, Rebecca, finally moved out when a lightning strike traveled down the chimney and killed her dog Jake.