Joseph Raymond House – First House South of the Cemetery (No photograph available)
The north end of this house is part or all of the schoolhouse which was built about 1752 near where the soldier’s monument now stands on the center green. About 1805, this schoolhouse, not being adequate for the number of scholars, was moved to a spot just south of the cemetery.
The land here apparently belonged to Elisha Edwards as in 1808 (28-420) he and his wife, Anna, sold “1 acre and 140 rods of land with a dwelling house to Jonathon Judd Jr., for seventy-five dollars”. The house could not have been very pretentious. Mr. Judd, a bachelor, probably never lived here. Mr. Judd sold it to Rev. Vinson Gould in 1812 for $200 (36-460). Mr. Gould, also, probably never lived in it.
From the “History of the Connecticut Valley”, it appears that Mr. John Miller occupied the house from the time it was placed at this site until he died.
Cyrus Chapin became the next owner in 1819 (42-608) paying three hundred and fifty dollars. He sold it the same year to Elisha Marsh (44-1).
From 1818 to 1828 it was owned by several other owners, among whom were probably Mr. Bliss, Mr. Sheldon, and Josiah A. Gridley. The last named owner sold it to Eliphalet Hatch Jr. (60-137) in 1828 but Mr. Gridley reserved the aqueduct that goes to the village and the right to repair or replace it.
The aqueduct was made of the old time pump logs which were small logs with holes bored through them to carry the water. One end of each log was tapered to fit into the next and so on. Probably some of these logs are underground there even today. Mr. Joseph Raymond found several and dug them up soon after 1930.
Mr. Hatch sold the property to Pamilia Johnson of Westfield in 1829 (66-590) and she sold it to Orrin P. Wilson in 1834 (70-453).
Charles H. Frary bought it from Orrin P. Wilson of Springfield in 1836 (78-138). Mr. Frary was unmarried at this time. He brought his parents here who were Jesse Frary and Olive (Dewey) Frary. Presumably they lived here the rest of their lives.
Charles H. Frary was born 1813 and died 1886. In 1840 he married Mrs. Mary (Pomeroy) Weld. She was one of the ten children of Joel Pomeroy and Mary (Campbell) Pomeroy, who were married in 1796 and lived on the west side of Pomeroy Mountain.
Mary Pomeroy was born in 1808 and married Charles W. Weld of Worcester in 1829. They had one daughter Elizabeth Weld who in 1858 married Charles H. Pomeroy. They had no children and he died in 1904 or 1905.
Charles W. Weld died in 1836. Charles H. Frary and Mrs. Mary (Pomeroy) Weld Frary had two children:
- Sarah Maria Frary born Feb. 2, 1841, married John Griswold Rathbun, four children.
- Andrew Charles Frary born April 7, 1843, married Mary Coutts, born at Perth Amboy, New Jersey, no children. He died 1912.
The children of John G. Rathbun and Sarah (Frary) Rathbun were:
- Andrew Rathbun born 1870, died 1871.
- Mary Elizabeth Rathbun born September 21, 1874, married Frederick E. Judd, May 3, 1920. She was his second wife.
- Frank DeGraff Rathbun born Nov. 5, 1876. He was a mining engineer and with his wife Mary (Goldacker) Rathbun resided in Morenci, Arizona.
- Eleanor Packer Rathbun born Feb. 24, 1880, died unmarried, Nov. 21, 1904 in Morenci, Arizona. She had gone there in the hope that the dry climate would improve her health.
Charles H. Frary sold this property to Jane Cliffe of Northampton 1886 (399-148). She sold it to Charles A. Frary (who was born Andrew Charles Frary) in 1890 (433-452).
He sold it to William Crowley in 1890 (433-445). Mr. Crowley’s wife was Alida Frary. They were married Jan. 31, 1889 and had four children, one of whom was Winnie, who married Axel Madsen. Axel died some years ago, but Winnie lives in her house in the village.
Mr. Crowley worked on the railroad section gang in Southampton and in Turners Falls. Later he was boss of the Northampton section gang, retaining that position until he retired. He moved to Northampton in the middle 1890’s. But, he always retained and interest in Southampton and his presence at our Old Home Day celebration was always welcomed. He had an excellent memory, and his accounts of his early days in Southampton were enjoyed by many.
Mrs. Jane A. Wolcott was the next owner of this property buying from Mr. Crowley in 1895 (535-405). She lived here the rest of her life. She died in 1913. Her son-in-law and daughter Wilbur Gridley and Louise (Wolcott) Gridley lived with her.
Scott Badger was the next owner buying from Louise Gridley in 1924. He came down from Vermont and worked for Early Howlett.
Joseph Raymond bought the property from Scott Badger in 1930. Mr. Raymond was a carpenter and he, with his wife and three children, lived here until daughter and one of his sons were married. They, then, about 1957 moved to Westfield, selling the property to Robert G. Lucadello. Mr. Lucadello loved here for a year or two and moved to Texas. The house has since been rented to different families, the present tenants being Mr. and Mrs. Edward K. Bodurtha.
–From “History of Old Houses” by Atherton Parsons
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