Welcome to the 17th Century

Exterior
1 bedroom, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets
Hair dryer, towels, soap, shampoo
1 bedroom, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets
1 bedroom, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

About this house rental

Located in Cranston, this lovely house for $264 per night is a fantastic choice for your next trip. With the exception of certain Premium Dates we only accept reservations of less than 7 days when the arrival date is within 30 days, unless we have other guests immediately preceding or following the requested stay. We do this so we don't eliminate guests looking for stays of 7 days or longer. Feel free to make an inquiry anyway, because I may be about to book another guest immediately proceeding or following the dates you have requested. If you are still searching for accommodations as it gets closer to your arrival please check our calendar. In the meantime if we have a reservation that immediately precedes or follows your request we will contact you. In the event that we already have a guest checking out on the day you are checking in, or checking in on the day you are checking out we will need to adjust the check-in or check-out time by one hour to allow sufficient time for the Housekeeper. Built in 1677 the Major Thomas Fenner House is the oldest home in the Providence Plantations and one of the few original “stone-enders” in existence. The 2400 sqft 4 BD 2 BA home sits on 3 acres of land siding to Stone Pond. When you head up Stony Acre Dr. turn down the long driveway just before the stop sign. You will be leaving a 1970s residential neighborhood to discover a tranquil setting among ancient trees bringing you back to a time of early colonial Rhode Island. The 5th "bedroom" is not a true bedroom. It has no door and guests in bedrooms #3 and #4 pass through it to reach the bathroom. The home was built a few months after King Phillips War in which the settlers homes were burned to the ground. Originally built as a 2 ½ story 18.5” x 18.5” post and beam frame home on a field stone foundation with a massive stone fireplace. The original fire room, sleeping chamber, attic and basement are very much as they were built. In the 1700s additions were added to the south and west and in the 1920s a dormer was put on giving it a Salt Box style and an indoor bathroom. The home served as a residence, court, meeting house and tavern. Google Major Thomas Fenner Bear to see his original recipe for beer. The Home was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1990 and is the jewel of early Rhode Island homes. The current owner brought the home back into the Fenner Family in 2006 after a 90 year hiatus with the mission of continuing its preservation for another 330 years. In 2015 the owner decided to make the property available as a vacation rental to help it support itself and to allow the public and architectural and historical scholars greater access to the home. The home is furnished with antiques, period, reproduction furniture and colonial in style. The furnishings provide the ambiance of a historic home while still providing it's guests a comfortable stay with the modern amenities (indoor plumbing, four flat screen TVs wifi and alarm system), that don't interfere with the home's historic nature. Keep in mind this home may have been five star when built, but rustic is a better description today. Among the architectural wonders of the house is the massive field stone chimney on the north side of the house which is why these homes are known as “stone-enders”. The attic window to the left of the chimney is the size of the original windows which had triangular panes of glass imported from England. The post and beam construction is of old growth virgin timbers. Check out the size of summer (wood beam over fireplace) by opening the door to the utility room and looking up to your left. This is also where the switch to the spot light that illuminates the fireplace is located. The fireplace is 10 feet wide and over 5 ½ feet tall. To open and close the flue push up and pull down the metal bar visible on the right hand side of the fireplace. The granite beneath, in front of and siding fireplace is the original kitchen. A heavy metal bar can be seen by looking up the chimney. This was used to hang pots to cook as well as three legged pots sitting in the coals such as the one in the back left hand side of the fireplace. You can see the shallow beehive oven in the back of the chimney which fell out of fashion as a result of too many women catching their dresses on fire while cooking. The large floor joists which can be seen in the basement were placed only 5 inches apart and those joists are given the credit for the home still standing in it's 4th century years. In the attic can be seen the distinctive scars of lumber which has been “pit-sawn”. It was a new England tradition to gift newlyweds two sugar maples to plant in their backyard so they would have maple sugar for life. The maple trees behind the house were likely planted in the 2nd half of the 19th Century. The pantry next to the breakfast nook has been moved from the left of the main fireplace, but it is the original 1677 pantry. As you can imagine a home of this age has some features unique to what guests might be used to. Some doorways are low, thresholds are high, steps are steep, and cracks in the 1677 wide plank flooring would make high heels a nightmare. A 1929 Elmsford gas stove is the centerpiece of the kitchen. The cook top has an open pilot, so do not place anything flammable of top of the stove. The controls for the oven are on the right hand side of the stove.

Amenities

Air conditioner
Kitchen / Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Fireplace
Parking
Laundry
Balcony / Patio
Dishwasher
TV
Garden
Family friendly

Map of Cranston, RI

Reviews

4.8/5.0
Outstanding(117 Reviews)
10.0
Jul 2023
Our family of five had a wonderful time in the Fenner House. The stairs to the second floor are steep and creaky, not for anyone with mobility issues. But it was fine for our family.
5.0
Jun 2023
Our family of five had a wonderful time in the Fenner House. The stairs to the second floor are steep and creaky, not for anyone with mobility issues. But it was fine for our family.
5.0
Jun 2023
We really appreciated the opportunity to "live" in such an historic home, with all the modern amenities.
5.0
Jun 2023
We really appreciated the opportunity to "live" in such an historic home, with all the modern amenities.
10.0
Oct 2022
I booked this property because of the history of the property. I wanted a unique experience outside standard hotel rooms. What a treat. Everyone in my family thoroughly enjoyed the home. We walked around the inside of the home and discovered something new every time. The floors are original from late 1600's so if this is not your scene - I wouldn't recommend this property. But if you have an appreciation for things still around for over 300 plus years (including trees in the backyard) I would highly recommend this property. We had my grandson (who is 10 months old and very curious) with us and had to watch him very carefully while crawling on the floor because of the uneven floor boards but we put a large blanket on the floor and he was just fine. The hosts were so accommodating to our needs and communication was excellent. Thank you Richard for opening your family home and heritage to us.
5.0
Sep 2022
Great communication with Richard during this entire process. The property is a history lesson in and of itself - very surreal for my family. We enjoyed our stay, and definitely recommend this property to all cultures of people to take in all the intricate details of the property, and Rhode Island's historic past.
5.0
Aug 2022
This property is amazing. It’s such an old building, but it’s kept in phenomenal shape. The only deterrent would be the smokiness in the air from the fireplace, if you have asthma it may cause some breathing issues for sure. Other than that though there is nothing negative I can say about the place. The property is huge and offers plenty of space to spread out — both inside AND out! The outdoor area was a highlight for our group especially. Richard was great with answering any questions we had leading up to our check-in. It’s also within 20-30mins of the beaches! I would highly recommend this property for anyone looking to get away in Rhode Island.
5.0
Aug 2022
Overall, this house is a wonderful place to stay. It has a good location with a Walmart and other conveniences less than 2 miles away. In addition, for a historical house, it is very well kept. The owner was wonderful with contacting me from the beginning and even checking on our family during our stay. Definite 5-stars for the owners. My only caution would be for anyone who has severe allergies, as this is an older home, and because of that, we did take air purifiers with us, which helped a lot for us to be able to stay there because my allergies are extremely severe. But I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on the opportunity to stay in such history. Thank you so much, Fenner family, for opening this up for so many to enjoy.

FAQs

How much does this house cost compared to others in Cranston?

The average price for a rental in Cranston is $150 per night. This rental is $114 above the average.

Is parking included with this house?

Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Welcome to the 17th Century. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.

Is there a pool at this house?

We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this house. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.

Is Welcome to the 17th Century pet friendly?

Unfortunately, this house is not pet-friendly. Try searching again and filter for "Pets Allowed"

What amenities are available at Welcome to the 17th Century?

We found 11 amenities for this rental. This includes air conditioner, kitchen / kitchenette, internet / wifi, fireplace, and parking.

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