In 1844 Lydia Maria Child (1802 – 1880) wrote of her childhood visits to her grandfather’s house at 114 South Street in the poem “Over the River and Through the Woods” from her home at the corner of Ashland and Salem Streets. The rear portion of the house was constructed in the early 1800’s as a small farmhouse. About 1839 it was enlarged by Paul Curtis, who established a shipyard on the north side of the Mystic River at the foot of Winthrop Street. Between 1839 and 1852 Curtis built 27 vessels, including several world-famous clipper ships. The ionic detailing and the temple front of the house mark it as a classic example of Greek Revival architecture. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the house was purchased in 1976 and restored by Tufts University. South Street, laid out in 1637 and variously known as Fordway and Fish House Lane, is one of the oldest streets in Medford.
