The Old Pickering House
Currently housing the town records, this Gothic Revival two–story brick home was the first residence of the Pickering family in Foxfield. It was built in 1870, the same year as the mill. The larger “Pickering Mansion” was built several years later, with younger generations of the Pickering family continuing to occupy this earlier home. Deeded to Foxfield after the 1938 fire, the town has long hoped to renovate this building and turn it into an official town hall, Lack of funds have not allowed this, and it currently serves as the storage area for town records. The building is locked, and the key is held by Louise Madsen, the Town Clerk.
A diligent search of the records shows that over the last few years town expenses have exceeded the budget by almost $2000, and there is no clear indication of where the extra money came from. If Louise is asked about this, she proves evasive, saying: “Oh, these records are probably not complete.” The records were originally stored in the basement of the house, but a spring rain flooded the cellar two years ago, and some of the records were destroyed. If pressed on the issue, Louise turns defensive, and one may find gaining further access to the records difficult.
Type
House, Large
Parent Location
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