A-2-7
Samuel Wadsworth Place
The land here was originally settled by Luther Heaton who bought it from his father in 1784. He built a house near here (A-2-6) where he lived with his wife, Joanna, until they sold the farm to his nephew, Samuel Wadsworth, and his wife Hulda (Heaton) Wadsworth. Samuel was born after the death of his father and was adopted by his childless uncle and his wife.
Samuel spent his boyhood on the place and the place was conveyed to him by his uncle on his marriage in 1807. Luther built himself a small house and barn on 10 acres (A-2-8) he had reserved from the sale.
The Wadsworths lived at the old Heaton Place until about 1819 or 1820 when they built a new brick home here. The cellar hole is approximately 45 x 60’ and is in good condition today with many bricks as evidence of its original structure. In their later years the Heatons moved into a specially fitted room in the new brick house where they lived the rest of their lives. Samuel and his wife raised nine children there. Samuel Wadsworth was thrown from an unruly colt he was riding to water and was killed at age 52.
After his death the property was inherited by the two oldest sons, Seth and George. In 1857 they moved to Keene selling the property to Joseph A. Woodward and Calvin Hastings. In 1861 they sold to Eli Clark JR who moved here from A-2-17. The Clarks sold to their son, Daniel Clark and lived here until their deaths in 1884 (Eli) and 1890 (Mary). Daniel used it as a summer home for a few years selling to Charles Griffin of Keene. He sold the farm to the City of Keene in 1901. The house was taken down in 1905.
