THE EATON LEGACY

April 16, 2002

The sprawling, restored Georgian Colonial at 41 Olde Road in Danville could probably share some historical yarns with us if it cared to. For more than a century it was known as the Eaton house, and dates back to the late 1700's when it was the home of Jabez Eaton, one of Danville's (then Hawke), first District Highway Surveyors. A District Highway Surveyor was the precursor to the Road Agent of today. The Surveyor's duties of road construction and maintenance were similar to those of today if you can draw such a comparison to what that would have entailed two centuries ago. Early town records show that in 1797 the selectmen provided Eaton a list of property owners with a highway tax indicated for each. It was his responsibility to collect the highway tax or to arrange for the person to work out the tax. It was so stipulated, that he was to allow "48 cents a day for an able bodied man with his providing for himself a suitable too or tools and 48 cents per day for a yoke of oxen, 48 cents per day for a plow and 24 cents per day for a cart and wheels."

Twenty one years earlier in 1776, young patriot Jabez Eaton who was then 24 years old, joined the other 75 men from town who signed the Hawke "Association Test." The "Association Test" was the result of an edict from the Continental Congress attempting to establish a local list for each town or parish of those supporting the American Revolution. (It is duly noted that lunatics and idiots were excepted!)

Jabez had two daughters and one son, Samuel who was born in 1796. Samuel apparently shared his father's enthusiasm for roads and highways, as he shows up in town records as a District Highway Surveyor in 1821. He married Mary Eastman of Danville, but not until he was 45 years old, although she was fifteen years younger. Samuel inherited the family home when Jabez died in 1837, and he and Mary lived there all their lives. They had no children, but had a profound interest in education. Having no direct heirs, before Samuel died in 1871 he created a will providing the remainder of his estate, after the death of Mary and one other life tenant, should be placed in trust and given to the town of Danville with specific instructions that it should be used to build and maintain a high school to be located in South Danville in near proximity to the Freewill Baptist Church. Up to this point there was no high school in town. Students continuing their education after the eighth grade were sent to Sanborn Seminary in Kingston or to Pinkerton Academy in Derry.

In 1910, after the last life tenant died, Danville placed a warrant article on the ballot for Town Meeting to see if the citizens would accept Samuel's bequest. They did, and land was purchased and construction was started on what would become the Eaton School. It was located on Route 111A near the comer of Colby Road where the Fire Association Hall stands today. Although it was deemed a high school, it only offered the first two years. Again, students continuing their education were tuitioned to other towns for their last two years. Classes continued at the Eaton School until 1919 when expenses increased and enrollment decreased to the point it had to be closed. Income from Samuel's trust was now used to transport high school students to other towns, and the Eaton School was reopened as an elementary school. It continued as such until 1961 when the current elementary school was built. The old Eaton School was then sold and plans were underway to refurbish it and convert it to a nursing home when it burned to the ground. The land was sold to the Danville Fire Association in 1969, and the function hall that stands on the site today was constructed.

The Eaton family home was sold in 1912 to Charles Dole whose heirs owned it until 1996.

Enter Phil and Tina Cote who were moving to this area from Springfield, MA in the mid 1990s. They were looking for a rural setting with enough land for a horse, and they "loved" rambling old houses. They purchased the Eaton homestead in 1996, and started the continuing process of restoring it to its former self. They are only the third family in over two centuries to own this colonial gem. With their interest in the history the house offers and the pride they share in bringing it back to its former prominence, they continue the Eaton legacy.