Excerpt from The First House on Felton Hill, by Daniel Henry Felton: With the Fourteenth Annual Report of the Peabody Historical Society, 1909 1910

The subject for today is a description or a history of an old home, of a home and a dwelling-house, that has been known as such and venerated by many generations for a long period of time.

It is difficult, sometimes, to be exact about old matters, but from what can be learned from record, and from tradition, this house, the east part, was built about the year 1644, the present site of which, being not the first or original location; but it has stood on the same spot as we see it today for one hundred and fifty years.

One of the first traditions, about the age of this house, that I remember, and many times have heard repeated, came from the lips of him, who in his youthful years had often heard the original declaration from the original source, the maker of the declaration.

And since that early remembrance, and while I was beginning to become interested in historical matters, it has been my privilege to have had this tradition and declaration confirmed, by other and living witnesses.

The declaration was, that this house had been built nearly two hun dred years ago, and that the maker of the declaration was present at the Raising of the house.

This tradition and declaration, was for a long time, for many years, a great riddle or conundrum to me. I could not very plainly see how a man who had lived beyond the average age of mankind in general, could make such a statement and declaration, and keep within the bounds of the truth.

But after I had become interested in historical matters, which finally led to the gathering of material for a family history, I found records that helped to confirm this declaration, to the extent that a portion of this house had been removed from its original location, where it had stood for one hun dred years, to the spot where we now see it today, and that nearly sixtyyears additional had elapsed, since the maker of the declaration, then a youth of seventeen, was present at the Raising of the addition, or west ern portion of the house, the eastern part of which had been built, as the story went, nearly two hundred years ago. As you will see further along the removal took place at some time between 1746 and 1749, and the declara tion was made about the year 1800.

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