61 Second Street

For many years this house was known as “The Chauncey Metcalf Place.”  Chauncey Metcalf was born in Cooperstown in 1801 and moved to Geneseo in 1823 where he engaged in the mercantile business.  In 1832, he purchased land from Joseph Lawrence for about $250 and immediately erected this house in which he and his wife lived until their deaths in the early 1870’s.  The property was then sold by the Metcalf estate to Mr. and Mrs. James Clement, who lived here for only a few years before moving from Geneseo.  In 1883, the property was again offered for sale and the following description appeared in the newspaper:  “House is large, well-built.  First floor parlor, hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 3 closets, pantry and china closet, and a large summer kitchen.  Second floor- 5 bedrooms, 4 closets and attic for storeroom.  Excellent cellar, good well and cistern.  Outbuildings - woodshed, carriage house, ice house, cowshed and a large barn.  Good garden with small fruits.”

Mr. and Mrs. Josiah Warren of Chicago were the new owners.  They added a new roof the same year.  In the early 1900’s, the property again changed hands when Mr. and Mrs. Rundio purchased it.  During their occupancy, the direction of the stairs was altered to allow for the addition of a bedroom and bath on the second floor and a powder room and another small bedroom downstairs.  After Mr. Rundio’s death, Mrs. Rundio sold the house to the International Salt Company to serve as the residence of Mr. and Mrs. T. Foster Courthope, who had been brought here from England to serve as general manager of the salt mine at Retsof.  Upon his retirement, the Courthopes bought the property from the company, and in 1960 sold it to Mr. and Mrs. F. Benjamin Linfoot.

All the outbuildings except a large barn, have disappeared, and it is thought that the summer kitchen is now the woodshed.