Herman Melville bought this 18th-century house in 1850 and lived here until 1863. It was during this time that he wrote Moby-Dick. Though very little of the furnishings are original (most were sold in Melville's day to pay off debts), the guides do an excellent job describing what life would have been like for the Melville clan—the author lived here with his mother and sisters, along with his wife and children. A nature trail and shop are on-site. All that being said, the house will be of most interest to avid readers and fans of Melville.