Old Houses of the North Country -No. 513

—Photo and Caption by David F. Lane STILLMAN FOOTE HOUSE IN CANTON. Down near the Grasse river's east bank in the heart of as H. Conkey for $2,600. On Nov. 2, 1838 Ames and Con- Canton's earliest industrial district is this quaint old na­ key sold their interests to Wright and Moody, and July 1, tive stone house said to have been built by Stillman Foote, 1843 Wright became the sole owner, selling the property Canton's first permanent settler. It is of simple cottage Sept. 7, 1844 to Hiram S. Chapman for $5,000. type and evidences having been one of the earliest struc­ Then on Aug. 13, 1846 Chapman sold part of the prop­ tures erected in Canton. There is nothing in the record to erty to Henry Van Rensselaer for $4,500 and on Dec. 20, fix the year of its construction and originally there were 1860 Van Rensselaer disposed of part of the "Reserve Mill lot" with other lands to Friend P. Fletcher for $25,- no verandahs on it. 000. This included the .98 of an acre "old stone mill lot" It stands on the west side of Riverside drive within a of concern here. few hundred yards from Main street and the Hotel Har­ On June 12,1862 Fletcher disposed of the .98 of an acre rington. In easy view of it also are the big tavern erected to Jeremiah and Daniel Traver for $500 and April 10, 1863 by Stillman Foote in 1802 and the ruins of the beautiful Daniel sold his interest in this and other lands to Jere­ four-story, red sandstone grist mill constructed by Henry miah for $2,000. Jeremiah was engaged in the tannery Van Rensselaer in 1842. This was known as the "Eagle business and went bankrupt, his assets being assigned to Mill," and upon its site Stillman Foote built his first mill William H. Kimball May 21, 1873. As trustee Kimball sold more than a century and a half ago. this .98 of an acre and other lands to Barzillai Hodskin Before the War of 1812 Foote built a bloom forge near and Solon D. Hungerford April 21, 1875 for $9,500. this house, which undoubtedly had some relationship to On Jan. 6, 1880 they conveyed to Frank C. and Edward that forge and near there in 1815 Foote built a distillery. H. Gilbert for $4,800 and March 25, 1890 they deeded this He was an active industrialist in every sense of the word and other lands to Carrie H. Gilbert for $10,000. She con­ and by 1827 he had a marble factory in the same area. Al­ veyed back to them Dec. 8, 1896 and Nov. 11, 1905 Frank so in those early Canton years there was a tannery at the sold his interest to Edward who sold to St. Lawrence uni­ rear of this house. versity Sept. 25, 1923. The university sold to the town of The site of this old house was part of the original mile Canton Oct. 19, 1925, and_it transferred to Leland H. "square bought by StillmaTi Foote in 1800 snd upon which-' 'Tou*hg~Jah. IS, 1926. His assets were acquired by Bertha the village of Canton now stands. Just when the site of the M. Young Feb. 11, 1930 and on April 17, 1930 she sold to house was acquired by the Van Rensselaers as a part of Roy H. Bassett and G. William Lewis. They sold to Amos the "Eagle Mill" lot does not appear from the record at and May Hennigan May 1, 1930 and on April 1, 1932 they hand. disposed of this old house and lot to Omar and Pearl Lis- However, on Aug. 1,1836 Stephen Van Rensselaer sold cum. Omar transferred his interest to Pearl on Dec. 26, the "Reserve Mill lot" containing this property to Simeon 1938 and July 2, 1946 she deeded it to Lloyd and Violet D. Moody, Silas Wright, jr., Joseph Ames, 2nd and Thom­ Liscum, the present owners.