Claim: In 1769, John Southwick, Jr., was the owner of the vacant 12-acre (49,000 m) of land where the museum now sits.
Evidence: In 1769, John Southwick, Jr., was the owner of a parcel of land where the museum now sits. He gave the vacant 12-acre (49,000 m) lot to his daughter, Hannah, and her husband, Daniel Purinton, a cordwainer.