New Boston Historical Society
New Boston, New Hampshire
Lemuel Marden built the only stone house in New Boston, later called Greystone Cottage
Behind the Door: 365 Mont Vernon Road
by Mary Atai (December 2024)
The house was sold several times until being purchased by Samuel Kimball, who presented it to his daughter, Mary "Mae" Kimball, as a wedding present. After the death of her first husband, Mae married Edward Hill, a locally famous and successful landscape artist. He especially was known for scenes done in and around the White Mountains. Over his lifetime, he painted throughout New England, Europe, and the west. He had several studios, and worked out of his studio in New Boston from 1899-1901.
Edward and Mae added the ell that still exists and ran the property as a summer lodge. With the eight extra rooms in the ell, there was a capacity for twenty guests. They named it "Greystone Cottage." Mrs. Hill was the proprietor and supervised all the meal preparation.
They kept 6 cows and 200 hens and worked the 75-acre farm, supplying the vegetables for the guests. Room charges were seven to ten dollars per week, depending on the size of the room. There was a two-seater outhouse type toilet toward the back, a carriage house, a large barn, and a pond.
Mae's daughter, Bessie, grew up in Greystone Cottage, and married Burnham Leavitt. The Leavitts farmed the land for many years and raised four children there. Their children became a strong part of the fabric of New Boston. They included Ella (Daniels), Viola (Kennedy), Marion (Woodbury), and Everett Leavitt.
Their daughter, Viola, was born at Greystone Cottage in 1914. She was a longtime member of the Grange, an excellent quilter, and a lifelong contributor to her community. S he married Joseph Kennedy at Greystone in 1932 and had six children, still well-known to many in town. They were Bobby, Jerry, Richard, Steven, Chet, and their only daughter, Arlene Kennedy Dodge. Bobby and Jerry were builders, had a company called "Kennedy Brothers," and built many houses in New Boston, as well as repairing and expanding many other houses. They also built the current fire station.
Greystone Cottage today
Her memories of the inside of the house include a kitchen hand pump for water, a small wood stove, and very little counter space. There was a small room off the kitchen used for all the baking. The dining room had mahogany beams and a low ceiling, which was tin. There was a trap door in the dining room that went down to the root cellar. The parlor was very formal with a grand piano and red velvet curtains. By that time, all the extra bedrooms were used for renters or visiting relatives. Many happy family memories were made in this house.
By 1955, due to aging, Bessie left the stone house and moved in with her daughter, Marion. She remained a member of the Grange for more than 50 years and was still very busy working for the good of the community. But as the stone house was left empty, and still without plumbing or electricity, it fell into disrepair. Sadly, over time, it was ransacked and many of Edward Hill's paintings were stolen.
In 1965, Betty and Arthur Vasel, a cabinetmaker, bought the house. With his skills, he restored and modernized it. Much of the acreage was sold off at that time. In 1976, the house was sold to Karen and Joe Craven. Karen is a talented crafter and opened a gift shop in one of the rooms, where she sold handcrafted articles, such as jewelry, quilts, and macrame.
Over the years, a porch was added on the north side, built by Viola's son, Jerry, using barnwood from their old barn across the road, which was falling down. An addition has been added on the driveway side. The dilapidated small barn near the house also had to be taken down, due to its poor condition.
The current owners have consolidated some of the very small rooms that were once rented out to summer boarders into larger modern-sized bedrooms now. They have also replaced the roof and the septic system, done some custom woodwork, repaired the plaster ceilings, and are currently building a lovely fence. They feel a strong duty as caretakers of this nearly 250-year-old granite structure to preserve and protect this legacy for future generations.
Click here to return to the main page for "Behind the Door" articles.
