Gov. Reuben Fenton Mansion, also known as Walnut Grove, is a historic home located at Jamestown in

Chautauqua County, New York Chautauqua County is the westernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the population was 127,657. Its county seat is Mayville, New York, Mayville, an ...

. It is an

Italian Villa A Roman villa was typically a farmhouse or country house built in the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, sometimes reaching extravagant proportions. Typology and distribution Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) distinguished two kinds of villas ...

style residence built in 1863. The home features a four-story tower. It was the home of

Reuben Fenton Reuben Eaton Fenton (July 4, 1819August 25, 1885) was an American merchant and politician from New York (state), New York. In the mid-19th Century, he served as a United States House of Representatives , U.S. Representative, a United States Sen ...

(1819–1885). In 1919, the city of Jamestown acquired the property as a Soldiers and Sailors Memorial. During World War II it was used as a recruitment center. After being abandoned for many decades the city had plans to tear it down, however, a society was formed to help save the building. It has been home to the Fenton History Center since 1964 and is now used as a museum dedicated to the local history of Chautauqua county.''See also:'' It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1972. It became a Blue Star museum in 2022.

History

Residence

The Fenton mansion was built 1863 for Reuben Fenton and his family. It was occupied until his wife Elizabeth Scudder Fenton's death in 1901.

War Memorial

The property was vacant for many years before the city bought the house in 1919 for $35,000 to use as a war memorial for soldiers and sailors. Veterans associations began to occupy the building. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the building was used as a recruitment center for young soldiers. It was known as the "last chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic". The mansion was also home to a local chapter of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

as well as the national headquarters until the last Civil War veteran died in 1956.

Historical society

In the early 1960s, the building was abandoned. There were plans to tear down the house in conjunction with the new route

route 60 The following highways are numbered 60: International * Asian Highway 60 * European route E60 Australia * Bruxner Highway * Dawson Highway (Rolleston to Gladstone) - Queensland State Route 60 Brazil * BR-060 Canada * Alberta Highway 60 * ...

was going to take through Jamestown. While plans were being made to tear down the building, mayor William D. Whitehead appointed Stanley A. Weeks to look into other possible uses for the mansion. Weeks would later become the first life member. In 1962, the mayor of Jamestown formed a committee to determine what to do with the property and it was decided to establish a historical society and museum, with the goal of preserving and restoring the Fenton Mansion. The Fenton Historical Society was established on May 22, 1963 and the mansion was converted into a museum. Mary Torrance was the original president, Harry Rose was the first vice president, William Reynolds was the second vice president, Sybill McFadden was the secretary and Bert Hough was the treasurer. In 2013, the adjacent William Hall House was purchased to use as for archives and a research library.

Archaeology

The grounds around the Fenton, also known as Walnut Grove Park, have been the location of a historical archaeology site. The dig started in 2012 and has the goal of uncovering many of the original historical structures that surrounded the Fenton mansion. Some of these structures included the barn, carriage house, and servants' quarters. It was discovered that the barn was actually torn down and a greenhouse was built on the same location. The dig is ongoing, and is coordinated by Dr. Thomas Greer.

References

External links

Fenton, Gov. Reuben, Mansion - Jamestown, New YorkFenton History Center website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fenton, Gov. Reuben, Mansion Jamestown, New York Western New York Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Italianate architecture in New York (state) Houses completed in 1863 Museums in Chautauqua County, New York History museums in New York (state) Houses in Chautauqua County, New York National Register of Historic Places in Chautauqua County, New York Buildings and structures in Chautauqua County, New York Governor of New York (state)