12 East Church Street

This property was originally a part of Lot 1 Block 8. Tax records seem to indicate a building, or buildings, on the lot by 1857, owner Evens Buzzell. Buzzell also owned the house to the west at the time. Buzzell, and wife, Nelly Jane, bought the property in 1854 from the heirs of Washington Clark, Nelson W. and Phidelia Clark, and Ebenezer and Sarah Ann Clark. The Buzzells sold the property by 1857 to Robert and Fanny Perry. Prices for the two transactions also seem to indicate a structure or structures on the lot at the time. An 1872 Map of the Village shows two building footprints on Lot 1, the one at this address being a simple rectangle. Mrs. Mary D. Howe owned all of Lot 1 Block 8 until 1893 when she kept this piece and sold the east 54' of Lot 1 to Catherine ("Kate") Vliet. Architecturally this house is a Vernacular Style. The low pitched roof of the 1 & 1/2 story with single story section seems to indicate that the building was originally built in the Greek Revival style. However, the brackets under the eaves are reminiscent of the Italian Revival style. There is no evidence at present to explain whether the original buillding was built as a combination of styles or was "updated" later.