9 Elm Street

When Elm Street was opened in the early 1850’s, this house was a small one owned by Hezekiah Ranney. It bore slight resemblance to the present structure. Mr. Ranney died in 1857 and the house was purchased by his former business partner, Isaac Newton, a dry goods merchant. Mr. and Mrs. Newton moved to Michigan in 1866 and sold the house to Horace and Betsy Dodge for $1,285. Mr. Dodge engaged in the hardware business in Geneseo for five years before leaving in 1871 and selling the house to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Sill for $3,000. (There probably were additions during 1866-71 to account for the difference in sale price.) Mr. Sill was a prominent lawyer and Mrs. Sill, the former Mary Fowler, was a descendant of the Fowler family for whom Fowlerville was named. In 1874 they sold the house to the Central Presbyterian Church for use as a parsonage and in 1882 it was sold to John Crossett, a farmer. He had resided on his farm until retiring and moving to the village. Mr. Crossett died in 1889 and in 1912 his son sold the house to Sarah Dobbin and her daughter Lulu. Mrs. Dobbin died in 1921 and Lulu sold the house to Charles and Jennie Dolbeer. George Scondras purchased it from the Dolbeers in 1953.