The former 1675 Capen House in Milton, Mass. in 2007, after being dismantled to its skeleton frame for storage for a future buyer and a better day. The picture represents one-half of the original length of the structure, the other half already completely dismantled. The opening for the front door in the middle of the original front of the house, is at the bottom center of the photo. [Courtesy of Landmark Services, Inc., Walpole, Mass.]

The celebrated Capen House as it appeared prior to 1909 when it was still in Dorchester, Mass.

"The original house, considered to be the second oldest house in New England, was built in the style of the West Country with heavy framing. The farthest end of the house, consisting of four or five rooms, was built first; and some hundred years later the end nearest the street was added. The house was built on one side with especial reference to protection from the Indians; and [John Hewins, a later owner] found several arrows, during his residence there, which had been sent with hostile intention by the wily savages against the home-fortress of his ancestors. The house, which originally stood on Washington Street across from Melville Avenue at the corner of Washington Street and Dunlap Road, remained in the Capen family for nearly 270 years." [Dorchester Atheneum]

According to "The Barnard Capen House" in the Feb. 25, 2007 issue of the Boston Globe, Vanessa Parks, Correspondent:

The Bernard Capen house at Dorchester, Mass. was long believed to have been built in 1638 representing one of the oldest standing houses in New England. It has now been determined it was actually built in 1675. The house had been in the Capen family for more than 270 years in well-preserved condition. It was purchased in 1909 by a Harvard professor and relocated piece by piece from Dorchester to Milton for use as a summer house. By 2003, the then owner, who was 6'4" tall, found it impractical to live in due to its low ceilings. Failing to draw interest from historical groups for its preservation versus demolition, a renovation company specializing in the restoration of old New England structures purchased the house and dismantled it down to its original frame putting the dismantled sections in storage. Historic New England was able to date the original timber frame by use of dendrochronology, or the counting of tree rings in timbers. The dendrochronology lab at Oxford University in England determined that the timber samples were from trees felled in the winter of 1674-5, indicating they were probably used to frame the house in the summer of 1675. According to Anne Grady, an architectural historian, the house represented the fifth oldest house Historic New England had dated.

Although the article identifies "yeoman" John Capen as the original owner, he was either Bernard Capen's only son that came to New England, Capt. John Capen along with John's second wife, Mary Bass, or Capt. John Capen's eldest son John, Jr. by first wife Redegon Clap. In 1675 the four youngest children of Capt. John were still minors whereas in 1675 John, Jr. had nine children less than twelve years of age with three more children to follow by 1684. The only way to really tell is by a review of land deeds at Dorchester, which the writer has not attempted.

Suffice it to say, man often fails to outlast the things they make, or at least that was the case in times gone by.