In 1630 four Bullard brothers came to America from England. Originally they settled in the Watertown area. Many years later a descendent of these early Bullard’s came to Sutton. Generations of the Bullard Family lived right here on Water’s road. To people in town with very deep roots or interested in history. That house is still known as the Bullard House. Their house was originally built for Ebeneezer Waters in 1767. He was the brother of Stephen Waters who built the farmhouse at the other end of the street at Waters Farm. Ebeneezer’s daughter, Maria married Dr. Artemus Bullard of Oxford in 1796 but two years later died before having any children. Within six months Dr. Bullard had married Lucy White of Northbridge. 

In the tradition of  the times they named their first child after his deceased first wife. The baby’s name was Maria Waters Bullard! in 1805 some say Ebeneezer Waters convinced his son in law to purchase the farm and move his growing family to Sutton. Over the years the Bullard’s had ten children all together. Ebeneezer returned summers to visit his old farm and new growing “family”. Dr. Bullard had a room in the house he used as a surgery room where he treated the locals. Many of the Bullard children grew up to be prominent citizens. 

Of the seven boys three became ministers, two became doctors and the three girls married a minister, a doctor and a judge. They all had large families. One son, Ebeneezer Bullard, while attending Amherst College and was the roomate of Henry Ward Beecher, son of the famous Calvinist preacher Rev. Lyman Beecher. The Beecher family was living in Boston at that time. One summer break the boys walked home from college and they stopped in Sutton where the plan was for Henry to spend the night and continue to Boston the next day. 

   That’s and 85 mile walk. Here Henry met Ebeneezer’s sister Eunice and ended up staying a whole week. They were married a few years later in the Bullard House. Henry Ward Beecher became a minister and by the 1870’s was described  as  “the most famous man in America”. Over the years his own fame was eclipsed by his big sister. She was Harriet Beecher Stow author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

     By 1910 all the Bullard’s were gone from Water’s Road. Henry Beecher Bullard was the last. I now live in the old Bullard family homestead with my family. My pottery studio and gallery are not far from the spot where the patriarch of the family Dr. Artemas Bullard tragically fell to his death. I strive to keep alive the histories of these interesting people and the connections to the past by borrowing the Bullard name and creating pottery in a style that represents the three centuries my property has seen.