The Old Hose House, 1249 Main St, Reading, MA 01867, US

The main house of the Beebe Estate houses office space for the Melrose Council on Aging on the first floor and the Melrose Alliance Against Violence on the second floor. In 1995, the former Beebe barn was rehabilitated to serve the city as the Milano Senior Center. The renovated front rooms are open to the public for rental and host special, private gatherings and functions. The estate also is also open most Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Beebe Art Exhibit, which features local artists. A Greek Revival-style mansion in Melrose, the Beebe Estate was built in 1828 by internationally prominent merchant, William Foster, as his summer retreat. In 1854 it was purchased by Liberty Bigelow, and his wife, Harriet, both Melrose philanthropists, and in 1898 the estate was inherited by the Bigelow's adopted daughter, Katherine, and her husband, leather manufacturer Decius Beebe. Members of the Beebe family occupied the house until 1963, when it was acquired by the City of Melrose.