Re: Henry Normander b.1853
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In reply to:
Re: Henry Normander b.1853
Shirley Farone 8/13/99
Guess this is pretty late for Boni to use, but since I have it all typed, here it is:
The Normander House is #700 in the series done by David Lane - Watertown Daily Times with the following text:(no date of article on my clipping)
“One of the most uncommon names in the history of Jefferson county is that of Normander, and never in 150 years have there been many of the family in this section of the state.Not a single Normander has been listed in the Watertown city directory in years, yet Henry C. Normander was once prominent in this community.For over 20 years he was the owner of the old Harris House, which stood on the site of the present Y. W. C. A. building on the south side of Public Square.In addition he was a local building and real estate operator.
He was born in the town of Rutland on Sept. 8, 1827, was educated in the district schools of that town and in the Jefferson County Institute.He was married Feb. 25, 1851, to Harriet M., daughter of Amos and Malinda Ford Malroy, and had four children, all of whom died comparatively early.
His early years until he was 40 were spent farming and his farm house, shown above (not included, was on the Eddy road a short distance north of Watertown-Champion road.Part of his large farm had been once possessed by Charles Normander, first of the Normander name to own land in the county.The first recorded land purchased by Charles Normander had been bought by him from George and Lydia Coffeen in the vicinity of this house May 12, 1820.
On Jan. 30, 1849, Charles and Lucy Normander sold the 134.5 acres where this house is to Henry C. Normander and it is likely that the house was there then and had been for some time, perhaps having been built almost 135 years ago.On Feb. 6, 1856, Henry C. Normander acquired an adjoining 49.47 acres from James Eddy and wife and on Feb. 26, 1861 he added another 90 acres bought from John C. and Julia M. Hardy,m making a total of 273.97 acres.
In 1867 Mr. Normander decided to give up farming and on Jan. 8 of that year he purchased the Harris House from Arnold M. and Lucy Ann Harris.The hotel was then being operated by George W. Jones, whose lease ran until the following March 7.After purchase by Mr. Normander the hotel became known to many as the Normander House and was conducted by a number of proprietors under lease.On No. 19, 1890 Henry C. and Harriet M. Normander sold it to William W. Taggart, Byron B. Taggart, John F. Moffett, Hiram F. Inglehart and Joseph Mullin and on Nov. 13, 1891 bought from the Jefferson County Savings Bank a site on the southwest corner of State and Union streets, where he erected the three-story brick apartment house which still stands there and which his estate had to sell in 1902 to satisfy a mortgage.
On April 18, 1879 Mr. Normander and his wife sold the Rutland farm where the above house is to John Winslow of this city.Mr. Winslow transferred it to his wife, Sarah Winslow, in April, 1884 and on May 1, 1903 she conveyed it to Catharine H. Winslow then of Rutland.On March 1, 1916 the latter disposed of it to Silas D. Ball and Constantine Ganter, real estate operators of this city.Mr. Ball later took title with James J. and Eva Brett and on April 21, 1927, they sold it to Carl A. Phillips, another local real estate operator, who sold it on June 17 of that year to Robert H. Staplin of the town of Rutland.
Mr. Staplin kept the farm until May 2, 1946 when he and his wife, Anna E. Staplin, sold it to Mr. Brett.On Oct. 19, 1946 James J. and Gladys M. Brett sold it to Gerald P. Garvin, the present owner.
Henry C. Normander died on Aug. 21, 1900.On Nov. 28, 1904 his widow entered the Henry Keep Home and was a guest there until her death at 83 on Oct. 24, 1921.She was survived by five nieces and one nephew.
Under the ownership of Mr. Garvin the old House has been much rebuilt and restored, a large and expensive modern barn has been built and operation of the farm brought up to date with tractors and mechanized equipment.It is now part of upwards of 1,000 acres of land owned and operated by members of the Garvin family in that part of the town of Rutland.