Old Reed Homestead

Photo with writing:

The house with the bulging brick sides, propped up with poles. Near Richmond Mills. Memorial Day 1940. NY"

Found in "One Moment Please!" by James Keller. Published by Doubleday, 1950.

ED: The Reed Homestead is located in Richmond in Onatario County, NY.

From "A History of Ontario County, New York and its People" by Charles F. Milliken, Lewis Historical Publishing Co:

Richmond Mills and Dennison's Corners.

Asa Dennison and Levi Blackmer came to this locality in 1795. They settled at what is now Denuison's Corners, because of the fine stand of timber, thinking that this denoted fertile land. Dennison contracted for one hundred and fifty acres for three dollars an acre. He soon built a tavern, a framed structure, two stories high and forty feet square. The building had a fine ball room and was noted for the festive parties that took place there. Later Mr. Dennison, by the erection of an addition, doubled the size of the original building and made two ball rooms. Here he kept tavern for sixty years. The bill of fare was plain but substantial. It is said that it was principally bread, pork, potatoes, and whiskey—last named but first called for. That part of the old farm passed through many hands and was at last acquired by Richmond Blackmer. Levi Blackmer bought one hundred and fifty acres for three dollars an acre, paying $100 down on the purchase price. He cut and cleared some land and piled his first brush heap on a knoll a few rods south of the Richmond Blackmer house. On September 5. 1799, he married Hannah Pitts, daughter of Captain Pitts. They raised seven children, of whom Richmond, the youngest, lived on the old homestead for years.

Roswell Turner bought land on Hemlock lake outlet in 179d, made a clearing, and two years later moved to Allen's Hill. Calvin Ward, with his wife and young son, Harry, came from Vermont in 1816. He bought fifty acres of land at twenty dollars an acre. This land formed part of the Harry Ward farm. Ward raised wheat and made it into flour and drew it to Albany. Philip Reed came in 1795 from Vermont. He found that five families had preceded him. He bought land till he had fifteen hundred acres, most of which his descendants now own. Reed and Chipman built the first brick house in town, the original Reed homestead, the brick being made on Chipman's land. This is now known as the Fayette D. Short house, north of Richmond Mills. The house was begvm in 1802 and finished in 1804. The timbers were cut on the Short farm. The bricks were made across the road in the field now owned by C. E. Reed. The nails were hand forged by a blacksmith in the "Hollow." The contract stated that the men were to receive one gill of whiskey per day, besides their wages. The one hundredth anniversary of the completion of the building was observed by the Shorts in 1904.

Mr. Reed was considered wealthy, as he had $3,000 to pay for his land, and he built a grist and saw mill just above Richmond Mills. Isaac Adams came as Reed's hired man and bought one hundred acres. Colonel Lyman Hawes came on foot in 1812. He had served on the Niagara frontier. He worked at blacksmithing for John Abbey for some time, at sixteen dollars a month. He bought land and engaged in wheat-raising and wool-growing and became a prominent man. George McClure, of Bath, sent some goods to Allen's Hil! in 1809 and '10. In 1810, Amos and John Dixon opened a store at Dennison's Corners. They carried a general line of goods, including a hogshead of West India rum, and had a good trade. Parley Brown and Luther Stanley were also early settlers. John Dixon resided for some years at Canandaigua and lived to a ripe old age.