20th Century

Governor Bellingham ~ Cary House Association

A group of local citizens purchased the property from members of the Cary and Montague families in 1912.

One January 20, 1914, they officially formed a non-profit corporation known as the Cary House Association, with the purpose of “…acquiring the estate known as the Bellingham-Cary house in Caryville, Chelsea, and preserving the same for future Americans a fine example of the homes of the founders of New England, and of using the same for patriotic, educational and philanthropic purposes and the collection and preservation of articles of historic and antiquarian interest; also of generally using said house in any way which may tend to the uplift of the community.”

On May 22, 1941, the name was changed to the Governor Bellingham-Cary House Association. “The mission of the Governor Bellingham-Cary House Association is to preserve and restore the house as an educational and historical resource for Chelsea and the broader community.”