If you walk past the Cyrus Rexford house at 1643 Route 146, beware, because you may not be alone. Legend has it that Rexford’s granddaughter, Hollie, haunts the home built back in 1883.
In a recent interview, [Hollie’s daughter-in-law] indicated that some of the Rexfords are apparently haunting the old house, especially Hollie, said historian John Scherer in `Bits of Clifton Park History.` `While living there during the 1980s and restoring the house, she said there were unexplained noises and she sensed a presence on more than one occasion.`
Built by Cyrus Rexford, a wealthy leader who was one of the town’s founding fathers and a captain in the New York Militia during the Civil War, the home was inhabited by Rexford family members until recent years. Hollie was said to have `quite a reputation` in the neighborhood, known to drive horses through the village at `break neck speed` hoping to be rescued by a fine gentleman.
The little-known stories behind this home and nine others in the town will be revealed during the first Historic House Tour on Sunday, May 16, from noon to 5 p.m. Hosted by the Clifton Park Historic Preservation Commission, for a donation of $10 residents can tour the interior and exterior and learn about 10 of the town’s historic properties, offered up for exhibition by the current owners.
Every property has historical significance and many have tales behind them discovered only through some digging and storytelling.
The Jonesville Methodist Church at 963 Main St. was built in 1855 and replaced an earlier structure that was converted to a dormitory for the Jonesville Academy and now serves as a residence. From about 1896 until the 1960s, the church was known for its clambakes. Held Labor Day weekend, this tradition was a chance for churchgoers and the community to gather and they were highly anticipated all year, according to information gathered by Scherer.
Preparations began in June and by the middle of August, two cords of hard wood were purchased for tables to be built and tents were put up. Chicken was cut, wrapped in cheese cloth, precooked and cooled in refrigerators ahead of time. Canners, wash boilers and large kettles to hold coffee were collected from the neighborhood and on Labor Day morning around 5 a.m., bakers started a fire in the pit and the festivities began. A Jonesville fire truck was always parked close by to extinguish any accidents.
Today, the church is known for its gothic revival architecture, stained glass windows ` some of which are original ` and the bell tower, which was restored.
Clifton Park residents might know the Edison Club at 891 Riverview Road as a distinguished country club, host to golf outings and wedding parties. But in 1920 when it was being conceived, it was almost going to be a `man’s club.` Thomas Edison, inventor of the lightbulb and longtime employee of General Electric in Schenectady, is who the club is named after. In its early planning stages, records show that employees of GE had a barroom discussion while waiting for a train and thought a `man’s club` would be a good place to meet socially and develop the friendships that had been growing within their business relationships. This did not, however, come to fruition and it has grown as a country club for years.
Another town residence, built by Barent Palmerton in 1816 when he purchased 118 acres from his father, was also a popular meeting place. This one, however, was a bit more secretive.
`The house changed hands frequently through the 19th Century,` said Scherer in his research. `Oral tradition indicates that during Prohibition in the ’20s and ’30s, the house served as a speakeasy.`
Speakeasies sprung up across the country when the sale of liquor was banned. These establishments tried to fly under the radar, illegally selling bootleg alcohol, often by business owners looking to make extra money by capitalizing on peoples’ indulgences. At other eateries, liquor was often ordered using `code words` in a roundabout way to avoid detection. At speakeasies, customers could order it outright, or `speak easy.`
214 Riverview Road is now a quiet residence facing the Erie Canal, but in 1832 when it was built by John Clute, it was the bustling focal point of a canal side settlement called Willow Spring, named for a spring beneath a willow tree from which canal travelers got fresh water. A canal store provided provisions and a station barn was stocked with fresh mules to pull the boats.
All profits from the tour will go toward operating and maintaining Grooms Tavern, owned by the town. It was a tavern and hotel for much of the 19th century before it was converted to a store in the 1880s and hosted the first Town Board meeting in April 1828. Tourists can meet at Grooms Tavern and explore at their own pace.
With around 315 historic homes in the town, Chairman of the Historic Preservation Commission Mark Kazmierczak said the town hopes to continue this event in the future, displaying more homes each time.
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