Constableville, NY Octagon House:

Moses J. Eames (b. 1/12/1829, d. 6/8/1885, son of Daniel Wight Eames and Laura Cone) and his wife, Sally Legal Eames (b. 8/20/1829, D. 6/9/1912, daughter of German immigrants) were married on 2/9/1854. On 12/31/1855, Moses purchased approx. 1/10 acre of land in the village of Constableville from Seth and Laura Miller for $125. The Millers held a mortgage of $500 which facilitated the building of the octagon house in 1856. The 1860 census lists Moses as a machinist and by 1870 he owned a small factory in Constableville called Eames and Bridgman whcih manufactured pumps, mop handles, cheese boxes, wagon hubs, wood water pipe, and other items such as window frames. Moses also made two octagon tables which are now in the care of relatives.

According to his great grand-neice, Moses was forbidden to eat dairy and used to sneak down to the kitchen to cut pieces of cheese from the cheese wheel which was always kept. He eventually succumbed to stomach cancer. His will stipulates that the octagon house, furnishings, 2 cows and 9 acres of land (elsewhere in C'ville, I believe) be left to Sally for use during her life, with the residual passing to his five children in equal shares. Moses and Sally Eames are buried in the Constableville Cemetary alongside his parents, Daniel and Laura, daughters, Fannie and Clara, and son-in-law, Howard Pease.

Moses and Sally Eames' five children were as follows:

Mary Jane b. 1/18/1855 - Married James H. Vandenburg or Vandenbergh at the octagon house on 12/12/1883. A copy of their wedding invitation is attached, courtesy of Flo Eames Wallace. Mary and James lived in Syracuse. She became an invalid and, after James' death, was brought home to the octagon house according to family members. There is no mention of Mary at the time of Sally's death in 1912, so presumably she was deceased and her interest in the house reverted to her siblings.

Howard Clift b. 5/15/1857 - Howard was working in his father's factory at the 1880 census. He later married and moved to Lowville NY. He and his wife, Bridget, would deed their interest in the octagon house to his twin sisters, Laura and Clara, following their mother's death.

Laura b. 5/9/1861, d. 4/23/1929 - Laura, a twin, married Evan F. Roberts and had one child, Clara who was born about 1891. At the time of the 1910 census, the Roberts family lived in the octagon along with Laura's mother, Sally, her youngest sister, Fannie, and her twin sister and brother-in-law, Clara and Howard Pease. Evan Roberts died prior to 1920 and, upon her death, Laura's interest in the house passed to her daughter.

Clara b. 5/9/1861, d. 11/26/1941 - Clara, a twin, married Howard A. Pease and the couple had no children. The Pease's lived in the octagon for a time and then lived in a Federal style house 3 doors west of the octagon. Howard Pease died in 1934. Clara died intestate and her interest in the house passed to her sister, Fannie, and neice, Clara Roberts Shaw.

Fannie b. 8/21/1868, d. 12/25/1944 - Fannie never married and was, I believe, a school teacher. According to neighbors, she lost one leg due to illness. Either Fannie or Mary Jane spent most of her time in an upstairs bedroom where she was attended to by family members. One day a chunk of plaster fell from the ceiling, knocking the poor lady unconscious! I believe this may have been in the east side bedroom, which now has a tiled ceiling. At the time of her death, Fannie had approximately 43% ownership of the octagon, which she left to her neice, Clara Roberts Shaw.

Clara Roberts Shaw, daughter of Laura Eames and granddaughter of Moses and Sally Eames, became sole owner of the octagon house in 1944 and rented the house to the Jerry Clough family for a time. Jerry and Arlene Clough purchased the octagon on 9/4/1952. Their son, Jerry Clough, recalls sleeping in one of 3 small rooms that were in the upper back extension at that time. According to Mr. Clough, the hollowed central post which runs up the circular staircase from the cellar to the cupola housed water pipes which allowed the Eames family to overwinter their beloved geraniums and other plants for the window boxes in the cupola. Mr. Clough also recalls that his mother had pier mirrors hanging in the two front parlors and a mirror in the adjacent bedroom. Due to the circular floorplan, his father could sit at the head of the dining room table and see the back of his head reflected in the bedroom mirror!

James and Arlene Clough sold the property to Leo and Margaret Northam on 6/30/1954. Their neice, who lives next door, recalls many happy times there and playing with her brothers and cousin on the second story porch which has never had a railing! She also has photos of a small front extension of the barn which was used as a workshop but no longer exists and an old hand pump for water that was on the porch outside the west kitchen door.. Mrs. Northam occupied the house until her death in 1987, leaving the home to her son, James.

James and Anne Northam lived in Rome, NY but would come to visit it periodically. They sold the house to Axel and Melinda Hennings on 11/7/97.

Mr. and Mrs. Hennings (daughter of local auctioneers) reside in Germany and intended to remodel the house for their eventual use. The clawfoot tub in the downstairs bath was replaced by a shower and the upstairs front bedroom was remodeled before they sold the house to Karen May on 9/21/2004.