Marshall Historical Society

The earliest homes of white settlers were on the east and west of the Brothertown Tract. Hanover, Moore's Corners, the Barker neighborhood and the Augusta area.

Nathan Moore built the Hoehner house. Daniel Moore the Hart house, Zebulon Peck the 15 or 20 room house at Peck's Corners, William Stebbins the large Wilmot farm house, Barton houses at Hanover.

Asa Dick built the Wratten house, now Gallagher's. Excellent and abundant lumber was available. Labor was cheap and able bodied men were glad to cooperate in the raising.

David Barton came in 1793 and built a home at sight of present Vedder home This was on Brothertown property and he had to move to the Hanover area.

John Dean came in 1795. He lived in a log house and in 1799 built the wing of what became Dean Homestead. Main part was erected in 1824.

One of the finest houses of this early period was the Dwight Peck home. It was retained in the family and was furnished with much of the original furniture. The parlor had soft grey French paper, an alcove with "what not"; console tables; and Spanish mahogany bureau from the Muller home. Another home fully as old is the Lumbard (Asa Reader) home.

Leaving the hill tops and coming down to the valley, Joe Rizzo's house is probably the oldest excepting part of the Dean Home. It is a one story with no eaves, just a slight projection when last roofed. It is a plank house 3' wide

Many of the early homes in the hamlet were built before 1850 and were of plank construction. The Whitney house was built in 1836 by George Barker (second merchant)

The Bice Hotel (Allyn Earl-Bee Hive) with long projection to the East used for stables. Later rebuilt into the Beehive. It offered accommodations for Canalers.

Most of the modest homes of the hamlet were built before the heyday of the hop industry. Many were similar - ice design - a story and a half and a wing, or 2 stories and a wing, with porches which have been added later.

In the boom days of hop growing, many houses were built, several on West Street with their arched braced verandas. Many of the square topped ones.

The Cole House (on the site of the Labor Camp) was most pretentious. The dining room and setting room were large with folding doors. The full length so they could be opened as one room.