In a previous article—Folklore and Memories: This Old Farm—we learned of some interesting local folklore about the property which included:

Two houses were put together to make the present house.

Every house in Patton was burned except one. Many believe this was the Spaulding house that was spared.

After the engagement at Arnold’s Bay (Panton and the Battle of Valcour – October 11, 1776), the Spaldings returned to their farm to find a dead British soldier in their house.

Mr. Spaulding was scalped while at the well early one morning when Indians crept up from the shore over the hill to his home. He survived.

While I haven’t found any evidence of the British soldier or Mr. Spaulding’s early morning encounter, restoring the house and property has uncovered some clues. These clues are about the Spauldings and the home they lived in for over 179 years. Here’s what I’ve discovered so far.

 The Spaulding Lineage

The Spaulding was one of the first families to settle in Panton in 1767.

In 1776, Phineas Spaulding was captured by British forces. He escaped and served in the Massachusetts State brigade from December 1776 through October 1781.

Philip and George Spaulding were captured on their father’s farm on November 5, 1778. They were carried to Canada with other prisoners. The Spaulding family home was then burnt out by the British.

Phineas Spaulding returned to his farm in Panton in late 1785. He died in 1825 at the age of seventy-six, and was buried in the Spaulding Family graveyard on the farm.

Descendants Owning the Spaulding Farm: 

Isaac Spaulding – Son of Phineas Spaulding  – 1790-1866

Isaac S. Spaulding – Son of Isaac Spaulding – 1828-1885

Loyal Wright Spaulding – Son of Isaac S. Spaulding – 1861-1943

Dorothy M. Neill – Daughter of Loyal Wright Spaulding – Property sold through Probate Court

The Spaulding Cabin

I believe the original home—more likely a log cabin—was burned when Philip and George Spaulding were taken prisoner in 1778. I also believe the remnants of that cabin’s foundation are near the well.

Not far from here, in the D.A.R. Vermont State Park, a historical marker identifies the foundation of a cabin that belonged to John Strong. This cabin was burned by British forces. That site and the one I believe to be the Spaulding cabin are remarkably similar in both appearance and size.

When we purchased the property, the area around the well was completely overgrown. As we began clearing invasive species, we uncovered the well—followed by a dump pit that had been used before the advent of transfer stations. After spending a great deal of time cleaning out “the Pit,” we began to notice flat stones arranged in a square around us and thought it odd. It was until we visited the D.A.R. and realized the similarity. We still have much work to be done… and interesting treasures to fine.

The Spaulding House

When Phineas Spaulding returned to Panton in 1785, he needed to reestablish his farm and build a home. After pulling apart much of the existing structure, I have gained an understanding of how the house possibly evolved into what it is today.

The original dwelling was a small, two-story post-and-beam structure with a very low cellar (for people under five feet tall). By the time we began our restoration, the leaking slate roof needed replacement. There was a noticeable hump in the west side of the roofline. At first, I assumed it was a structural failure—but it turned out that the hump was due to a connection point where a later addition met the original house. In the attic, we could see two parallel hand-hewn rafters in the center of the roof. The rafter on the right sits higher than the one on the left. We also discovered original wood shingles nestled between the rafters. These marked the spot where that section had once been the north exterior wall.

While repairing the foundation, sills, and siding, we discovered that the sill and beams of Addition 1 were marked with Roman numerals. The numbering began at the original house with “I” and continued sequentially to “VI” at the corner, indicating a planned extension and suggesting new construction at the time.

The rest of the house includes three additional sections. Both Addition 2 and Addition 3 were built using hand-hewn beams and flat-faced logs. Addition 3 appears to have served as a garage at one point—we had to remove both the east and west walls of this section. The east wall showed traces of a large doorway and included a Panton stone apron extending from the driveway to the house. This implies it may have once housed a buggy or small wagon.

The final addition is a two-car garage, most likely constructed in the 1960s or 1970s.

In the end

So back to the Folklore and Memories, it was not two houses put together to make one. Instead, it was one house with four additions… and I am fairly certain the original Spaulding dwelling was burnt down by the British.