As you look across Elm Street, it is hard to imagine that this cottage, with the white picket fence, was once completely surrounded by farmland. That is how it appeared in 1722 when Samuel Ely, Junior bought 10 acres of land and built his home here.
In 1760 the home passed to Samuel’s son, Captain Levi Ely, who purchased it from his siblings. Captain Ely added 14 more acres making his farm a total of 24 acres. This land stretched from near the top of the hill on your right to the downtown area.
Captain Ely was a Revolutionary War Veteran and local hero. He was killed in 1781, during the French and Indian Wars, at the battle of Stony Arabia on the Mohawk River in New York.
At the time of his death Captain Ely was a wealthy man having a net worth of 1,007 pounds sterling, a vast sum in those days. He left behind a widow and eleven children, eight under the age of fifteen. The homestead remained in the Ely family for 25 years before being purchased by Jonathan Parsons.
This was also the home of John R. Fausey who was superintendent of schools in the early 1900’s. A school, located off Amostown Road, is named in his honor.
Even though the house has undergone some major renovations over the years it still retains the "Colonial America" look.