Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-03-17
HISTORICAL.
DummerstOn Historical Notes.
The First Frame House I'm Dummsr.,o,

The First Frame House I'm Dummerston
In communication printed in The Yer
mont Phoenix, Nov. 4, 1898, II is stated
that the l. of the house in which the late
George A. Walker lived was the first frame
mouse in Dummerston, and that the first
window glass used in Dummerston was
used therein. This claim is not sustained
as there is no record to show when the
house was built 1t is matter of common
tradition, but investigation discoses no AN
thority for the tradition. Capt. Isaac Mil
Ter, the ancestor of all the Millers now liv-
ing in town, came from Worcester, Mass
with his family to Dummerston in ITO
and settled on lot No. IL, which is now
called the Walker farm. A short time he
lore Capt. Miller came to Dummerston. he
was financially embarrassed and all his
property sold at vendue. Capt. Isaac Mil
Ter, Jr., in his history of his fathers fam.
l'y AS printed in the History of Dummers-
Ton, pages ~ l32, states that he, with
Others OF the family, had to be put out to
service owing to the impoverishment of
ms father; that his father was ruined by
the "Fories in Worcester, Mass. and
some in New Hampshire" and that he,
lost Sl440 in buying with others a grant of
the town of Walpole, N. H. Therefore. il
is not probable that Capt. Isaac Miller's
first house in Dummerston was a frame
dwelling, but rather log building.
The consideration named in Capt. Mil
ler's deed of lot No. IL, containing 100
acres of land, and in all other deeds grant
ed to the early settlers by the original pro-
prietors, was that each settler should paw
five shllings as a recording fee, that each
purchaser should clear and fence four acres
ft for the plough and scythe, and that he
erect and finish thereon a dwelling house
not less than 20 feet square. That part of
the house on the Walker farm, said to
have been built by Capt. Isaac Miller,
measures % feet long and Is feet 6 inches
wide and consequently is not of the di-
mension required in the deed, that is, not
less than 20 feet wide. 1t is probable that
Major William Miller, son of Captain
Isaac, may have built the first frame house
on the farm during the summer of 1875,
as he bought the place of his father in the
spring of that year.
The History of Dummerston, published
in 1884, has a statement that Alexander
kathan, Esq, built the first frame house
in town. The building of his house is a
matter of record and not tradition. 81,
Alexander kathan, arrived in Fullum
LDummerston May l, 1861, with my fam
lily from Worcester. Nov. 10, 1902, moved
into my log house. Nov. 6, 1888, moved
into my new house west side the road"
The kathan homestead is now the we'll
known DR.. Shoes place on eye great road
to Putney.
Nathaniel French, brother of William
French, killed in the court house fight at
Westminster, Mar -, 1775, built a frame
house now standing and long known as the
Luke Norcross place near West river, that
would seem to possess prior title to this
particular distinction. Mr.. French was a
son of Nathaniel French ST., of Brattle.
boro, who lived near the Dummerston line.
He made the first clearing in West Dunn
merston and built his log house in 176S.
A few years later she built the first frame
house in Dummerston and people came
from miles around 10 see it," "He had
the first clock and the first chaise in town" |
The authority for this tradition is Natha- |
MEL Frenchs daughter, Lydia, born July |
9, 1884, and who married Amasa Manley of |
West Dummerston, Jan. 20, 1906. She |
lived to be over 30 years old and at the |
time of her death, Nov. l, 1874, was with |
her sons family in Augusta, Me. Her |
Amasa Manley died in Augusta, |
Me, Dec. Q, 1861. Their son, James Sulli- |
van Manley, married Caroline Gill Sewall, |
daughter ofCharles Sewall and granddaugh- |
ter of Gen. Henry Sewall OF Augusta. Lydia |
(French) Manley often told the story of her |
early life in Dummerston and that her faith
er, Nathaniel French, builtthe first framed |
house in town. The fact that people came |
from miles around to see Mr.. French's new
frame house, would seem to be good evil
dence that it was curiosity and probably |
the first frame house built in town, as his
claim A recent correspon-
1ence with the granddaughter of Amasa |
Manley, now living in Augusta, asking |
for information about her ancestors who |
lived in Dummerston, furnished the in
formation here given about the French |
house. The lady is a sister of Hon. Joseph /
IL. Manley, prominent citizen of Maine. |
Capt. John Kathan, the father of Alex |
ander, was the first settler in Dummers- |
ton, coming here with his family Jan. 5,
1852, and locating in the northeast corner |
of the town, near where the Putney rail- \
road station now stands. Halls History |
of Eastern Vermont is the authority for /
the statement that Katban did actually h
clear and improve above 100 acres, and
built a good dwelling house, barn and all |
necessary offices, and also a sawmill and |
potash works." and in order to guard his |
improvements was sat considerable ex-
pense in building fort around his house."
Capt. John Kathan resided In town IS |
years before Capt. Isaac Miller came here \
in 1770 with his family. AS he was the \
builder and owner of the first sawmill in
Dummerston it is not probable that he
lived in a log house all these years. There
was nothing to hinder him from building
a frame house before or even after ITO |
and he undoubtedly did build such a
dwelling some 10 or more years before the
time of his death, Nov. %, 1887, in the
S1st year of his age.
ID. L. MANSFIELD.
February, 1899.