The house was built between 1825 and 1827 by Stephen and Mehitable Frazee. The build their lonely house on a hill that overlooks the old canal. Two bricks on the house still bare their hand-engraved initials.
It has was rumored to have been a tavern, but no evidence has been found to support it. It also may have served as a makeshift jail while the canal was under construction.
John Hynton purchased the house in 1863 for himself and his new wife, Elizabeth. Two years later Hynton passed away and he is buried at Tinkers Creek Cemetery. The last owners of the home were the Foote family, it was then purchased by the National Park Services in the 1970s. In the house was never updated with indoor plumbing and electricity.
As you can see the wall is bowing out and the house had a bar going through it. I guess it is holding the house together.
Several paranormal legends are attached to this house. Stephen Frazee is believed to haunt the building and also one of the Frazee’s children who possibly passed away at a young age. There is also a story of a lynching on the property, when a canal digger was hung for his crimes.
Terry Moore
the plates with the metal rod running through the house is to hold the house together they are sometimes referred to as stars and bars. the floor joists rest only on one to two inches of support,
if wall shifts boom. the threaded rods work to keep the wall tight to the joists
A.W.Gonya
Stephen Frazee just might be my Great-great-great-?-? Grandfather, now I need to make a trip and visit this probable old family homestead.
Tim
We were working at the house at 3am this morning repairing the parking lot area. As we stood at the street level as the crews worked the lights in the lower left room went on. We all stood there and looked at each other because nobody lives there. I went up to the windows and looked in but could not see anything. They are restoring the house so construction items area everywere. As i came back down the hill and turned around the lights went out…creepy…maybe we had woke the ghost up and he was letting us know….
Jennifer
This house has been updated with electricty. The ‘metal pipe’ running up the side of the house is attached to the rain gutter. Take a look at the picture above the one with that comment. Trace it up. Gutters. The park system is renovating the house right now because the ground is shifting.
Reba Jane
John and Elizabeth Hynton purchased the home in 1860, when they already had children four children. He passed away five years later, probably of illness.
Terez Cassidy Storm
John and Elizabeth (Halpenneg) Hynton were my Great Great Grandparents. They purchased the house in 1860 when my Great Grandmother Elizabeth Hynton (Cassidy) was 7 years old. She was the youngest of their 4 children.