FIRE DESTROYS OLD LANDMARK
LANPHEAR HOME on
ALFRED ROAD BURNS
SATURDAY NIGHT. WAS BUILT 118 YEARS AGO
ANDOVER NEWS FEB. 1ST 1935
Submitted by William A. Greene 2007
The fire demon destroyed the oldest residence in this locality last Saturday night, when flames consumed the Lanphear
home about midway between Andover and Alfred in Lanphear Valley.
The fire was discovered by passing motorists about 10 o’clock Saturday evening, and as there was no one at the house they drove to
Melvin Green’s and reported the blaze. The Andover firemen were immediately called and responded in their usual efficient manner.
When the firemen arrived at the scene the entire wing on the back of the building was in flames. A stream of water was immediately put on the fire
from the trucks booster tank, but it was soon evident that the booster tanks could not handle the situation as the building was well seasoned pine and burned fiercely. A line was then
laid to the creek across the railroad track which although small, supplied water for one line of hose.
The only explanation to the origin of the fire that can be given is that “John Bum” must have stopped on his way along and finding the property
vacant took a little rest in the woodshed at the back of the wing where the fire started. Tracks in the snow indicated this.
According to the Lanphear family records in the hands of Mrs. Agnes Langworthy, this old
house was built 1817 by Deacon Nathan Lanphear when he came to Alfred from Berlin, N.Y. The house was the first frame structure built in the
valley, which was later named Lanphear Valley in his honor. In all those 118 years only two generations have lived in the house, Deacon Nathan
Lanphear and his son, N. Mortimer Lanphear, whose death occurred a short time ago.
