53 Center Street

The original part of this house was built in the mid 1840’s. Wallace Walker was the owner and resident from 1847 to 1874.  Wallace Walker was a druggist who owned a building on the corner of Main and Center Streets where the Youngs and Linfoot offices are now.  He sold it to John E. Booth in 1874 who bought it after the death of his wife.  John Booth lived here with his two daughters and three sons.  In 1886, since his children were now adults, Mr. Booth sold the house to the Nella B. Bond estate for a home for Nella’s sister, Rose, who suffered from a nervous ailment that made her almost helpless.  Nella and Rose Bond were nieces of the Allen Ayraults, builders of the Big Tree Inn.  Rose Bond died in 1896 and in 1912 her executors sold the house to William Burley, who had sold his farm to move into the village.  Mr. Burley died in 1923 and after Mrs. Burley’s death in 1926 the house became the property of one of her daughters, Estella Burley Haaf.