There are historic homes. And then there are homes that are part of history.

Dating to circa 1674 and believed to be the second-oldest surviving home in Manchester-by-the-Sea, 25 Bennett Street is a remarkable connection to the earliest chapter of life on Boston’s North Shore.

Built more than a century before the American Revolution, this First Period home belongs to an extraordinarily small group of surviving seventeenth-century houses. A landmark architectural survey identified just 61 surviving Massachusetts homes dating from 1660 to 1700, with the greatest concentration of First Period architecture found here in Essex County.

Its classic New England saltbox form tells another part of the story. In the 1600s, as families grew, homes were often expanded by adding living space to the rear and extending the existing roof downward to cover it. The resulting long, sloping roofline became one of the most recognizable forms of early New England architecture, eventually earning the name “saltbox” for its resemblance to the wooden boxes once used to store salt.

More than 350 years later, 25 Bennett Street remains.

And like the best historic homes, it has not simply been frozen in time. It has evolved through generations, adapting to the way people live while retaining the character, craftsmanship and wonderfully imperfect details that make a home of this period so extraordinary.

Step inside and you immediately understand the difference. There is a warmth and authenticity here that cannot be replicated. The proportions, architectural details and character speak to a house built by hand in another century, while thoughtful updates allow it to live comfortably for today.

Perhaps equally special is its setting. Tucked along one of Manchester-by-the-Sea’s charming side streets, 25 Bennett Street is just moments from the village, harbor, shops, restaurants, commuter rail and Singing Beach. It is a rare combination: a home of genuine historical significance set within the heart of one of the North Shore’s most beloved coastal communities.

For more than three centuries, generations have lived within these walls, cared for this home and added their own chapters to its story.

The next owner will have the rare opportunity to write the next one.