This house originally stood on the comer of Longmeadow
Street and Booth Road (now Birnie Road.) Records show that land was
granted in 1703 to Thomas Hale. Construction began on the house soon
afterward. The house was originally a square with a mansard roof, the
only house of this architectural type in Longmeadow at the time. It was
moved to its present location around 1894 and at that time the roofline
was altered and part of the back of the house was removed. The front
rooms still show the original pine paneling and the second floor has the
original wide pine floor boards. The dining room has a butterfly corner
cupboard and fireplace that were salvaged from the old "Marchant" Colton
house when it was demolished. (The "Marchant" Colton House was located
between Crescent Road and Longview Drive on Longmeadow Street. A
re-created room from the "Marchant" Colton House is in the collection of
the Smithsonian in Washington DC and its Connecticut River Valley double
front doors are in the collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The
front doors and door surround of the Town Hall are replicas of these
original Colton doors. )
