William I. and Ann (Slattery) Moore- Main Street
(No photograph available)
The land where this house stands was originally part of the Jonathon Bascom homestead, and later owned by Appolae Metcalf. Stephen Wolcott bought a small piece of land here from Metcalf in February, 1834 for $85 (71-538). According to Caroline Edwards, Wolcott then drew his carpenter shop here from the place now occupied by the Romaine Lambert family. He put an addition on the shop for his residence.
Elijah Graves bought this property from Stephen Wolcott on November 20, 1840 (89-365). Quote from deed: “Land with Shop and Dwelling now occupied by me.” Elijah Graves then sold to Daniel S. Whipple and he sold to Oliver N. Clark in 1842 for $600 (97-112). Daniel Whipple operated the store which was later owned by Lyman and Boyd. Oliver N. Clark was a carpenter. It is said he built the “Ewing’s Blacksmith Shop.”
In 1860 Stephen D. Clapp, Jr. and Elam Hitchcock bought it from Oliver N. Clark for $500 (192-313).
In 1865 Frederick Judd and Mary Ann Judd (brother and sister) bought this property for their retirement home from Stephen D. Clapp, Jr. and Elam Hitchcock for $700 (253-30). Frederick and Mary Ann Judd were children of Frederick Judd, Esq. and Nancy (Waite) Judd. Both were unmarried, and had previously lived on the place now occupied by the David Claxton family. They had sold that place, also in 1865, to Harris Nimocks. Frederick Judd died in 1869, and Mary Ann Judd died in 1871. The property then passed to their heirs, and finally became the property of Frederick Eugene Judd (known as F.E. Judd) son of William and Melvina (Carlton) Judd.
Frederick E. Judd married Katherine Parsons 1889, daughter of Isaac and Rachel (Edwards) Parsons. They had three children; Helen Katherine, William Frederick, and Edward Parsons. Helen, a Red Cross nurse in France in World War I, married Sumner S. Coleman. William F. Judd married Ruth Pettis. Edward P. Judd died in 1907, age 10. F.E. Judd was post-master in Southampton for many years and operated the Judd store. His wife, Katherine Parsons Judd, died in 1918 and he married (2) 1920 Mary Elizabeth Rathbun. The F.E. Judd family in 1908 had moved into the former Ard Judd House (which in 1948 was torn down to make a larger school yard). This property was then rented to the Joseph Delisle family for several years.
In 1912 Willard Sherman purchased the property (770-205). Willard and Sarah (McClellan) Sherman had lived in several other places in town before moving here. Willard, born in Becket, was a farmer and saw-mill worker. They had five sons: Charles, Fred, Reynolds, George, and Frank. Charles joined the army for a career. The others spent most of their lives in Southampton; Fred married Regina Marcotte, Reynolds married Gladys Macomber. George married Ruth Harper and Frank married Hazel Tyler. Sarah M. Sherman died in 1928 and Willard Sherman died in 1933. This house was then occupied upstairs by George and Ruth Sherman with their two adopted children William and Betty. Reynolds and Gladys Sherman lived downstairs with their two children Molly and Margaret. Molly Sherman married William Stevens and lives in Hartford. Margaret Sherman married Leonard Annis and lives in town on East Street. The four Sherman boys, Fred, Reynolds, George, and Frank were very athletic, especially good at baseball, and Frank was noted as a very fast runner.
George and Reynolds Sherman died some years ago, and their heirs sold this property to Stanley and Marie Fondakowski in 1960 (1336-332). It was next owned by members of the Southampton Realty Corporation until October 22, 1964 when it was purchased by William I and Ann L. Moor.
William I. Moore born 1927 in Kansas City, Missouri, son of George Herman and Helen (Stasz) Moore. William I. Moore married (1950) Ann L. Slattery, daughter of James and Helen (Emrick) Slattery. He is employed by the Boulanger Plumbing Company of Easthampton; he also has a hobby of paper hanging and painting and has redecorated many of the older homes in town. William and Ann Moore have five children; James Henry, Cynthia Rose, Jayne Elizabeth, Patricia Margaret, and Katherine Jean.
It is of interest that Stephen Wolcott, the carpenter who first lived here also built several houses in town, and he remodeled the church after it was turned to face Main Street in 1840.
Also it is of interest that the first telephone exchange located in Southampton was in this house. After about 1906 Southampton subscribers were served from an exchange switchboard located in Easthampton.
— From “History of Old Houses” by Atherton Parsons
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