75 Center Street

Prior to the opening of Oak Street in the late 1880s, there was, for the most part, vacant land between Center and North Streets. In 1868 a small house which stood on Center, about where the home of the late Mrs. LaVerne Dunham is today, was moved to Prospect Street, leaving an empty lot at 75 Center Street. A toboggan slide was built which started here and ran nearly to North Street. This was conducted on a paying basis (five cents a ride) and is reported to have been extremely popular.

In 1887, during the period when the Oak Street lots were being built upon, this Center Street property was purchased by James Colt, who erected the present large dwelling at the cost of about $8000. Mr. Colt and his family did not reside here long, however, for in 1893 they built a large house in Cuylerville to which they moved as soon as it was completed. Their house on Center was conducted as an apartment house for a number of years until it was purchased by Dr. and Mrs. Dunham in 1927.