St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-06-13
REMODELLING HOUSE
AT 81 MAIN STREET

1t Is not strange that the present APP
pearanee of the surroundings of the
OLD house at 81 Main street should at
tract some attention and elicit some
inquiries. After "a house has main
tanned its external appearance for
about Sc years it becomes historical in
a sense, and passers-by consider it a
landmark that should ask permission
If it made changes. In these circum-
stances the writer has thought a little
story of the somewhat ancient struc-
ture might be of interest to the towns
people of st. Johnsbury
On the lawn south of 81 there stood
house known as the Wheaton place
and near it a well from which much
water was used by the neighboring
people. 1t was not as old as Jacobs
Well, but oddly enough the house and
the well became the property of Isaac
Woods, who brought with him from
New Hampshire quite sum of money
and a family of sons and daughters,
who were placed in the academy and
common schools. After time Mr.
Woods became ambitious to build as
fine house as the town contained at
that time. His work attracted much
attention., and justly. In its present
condition the workers find the strong
est timbers nailed together with an
untold number of fastenings. The
doors are of solid butternut and the
inside ornamentation was done by Mr.
Martin Carr, by hand with no help
from machinery such as is used at the
present time. The third story was
made for a dancing hall, and has beer
the envy Of the lovers of terpsichore
in modern times. A story is told Of
o woman who said that some people
thought it wrong te dance, but TIC
show her opinion she danced on the
Bible. That such disrespect of the
Bible should be shown is much to be
regretted, but as an offset to this il
may be mentioned that every pro-
prietor of the Brooks House SO far has
carried Biblical or a classical name
Isaac, Jonathan, Horace and Sam
uel Nor is it impossible that in the
long future another Samuel may be
added to the list.
When completed and furnished with
q bar a. sign was erected near the
street bearing the name Vermont
House." The writer does not know
how long it was kept as hotel, but
in one of the sixties Mr.. Woods be-
came positive that the country was
doomed to destruction. Many others
thought that was the mission of the
Civil War. He sold his property al
a great sacrifice and removed to
Canada.
Fortunately Mr.. Horace Fairbank'
was a man of faith The old Wheaton
house had become disgrace and af-
ter the Governors purchase that was
destroyed and the we'll was closed
But there are some people today who
think it's waters contribute to- the
growth of the splendid elms that orna-
ment the neighborhood. Judge anc
Mrs. Ross were the next to own anC
occupy the house, and a big debt IS
due them for the new face that ap-
peared everywhere about the place
The Judge erected a living monument
to himself when he planted the state
ly elms. But he loved the country
side so well that he built fine mouse
known as The Bluffs on the west slde
of the Passumpsic and it came ABOUT
that DR.. Brooks brought his rather
stable flock to the fold OF which L am
writing. This was in the year 1863.
and since that time the name Brooks
has been joined to the place for al
most half a century.
The changes that are now belnS
brought about by the children whose
voices echoed through the big hall ana
around the neighborhood, often TO the
disgust and sometimes to the JOY OF
the community, let us hope-and
while we hope for this may we ex-
press other hopes that are entertained
for the old structure! We hope that
every one of it's 20 rooms may be oc-
cupied by someone who shall ma II
pleasant and restful. Some OF THESE
friends may be summer Travellers
some of them remaining for a winter
home; some may be aged people;
some full of the vigor OF chlldhooos
and some weary housekeepers; may
find a. well cooked dinner served. we
hone, too, that our friends, the cltl-
zens. may look kindly upon this new
venture of the Brooks family.
LUCY NJ. BROOKS.