McCourt House
The McCourts bought the house from John Bingham. In early histories it is listed as "the brick house". On an 1810 map of the village commissioned by Lewis DuBois, it appears as "Village Lot #6". There are some old panes in the windows and some original hardware. The house was restored in 1920 keeping as many of the original features as was possible.
There is a fan window on south side, 9 over 6 panes in windows on middle floor. At an early time there was a private school in the smaller part of the house. According to "Schools of the Town of Marlborough," PTA of Marlborough, 1937, "Another of the earliest schools of which we have any record was a boarding and day school kept about 1840 in the old Hepworth brick house, now owned by C.S.McCourt, by a gentleman named Northrip."
The pamphlet continues - "About 1860-1862 John Burroughs, the great Naturalist of West Park, conducted a private school where C.S. McCourt's house now stands. Later, it is thought, Mr. Burroughs taught in the old building on Main Street. This great Naturalist, a teacher in our village at the beginning of his literary career, spent his early morning hours and holidays prowling around the creeks and brooks or exploring the hills and dales of our vicinity in order to become better acquainted with Mother Nature and to make her secrets his own. It was while he was teaching in Marlborough that his essay, 'Expression', was accepted by the "Atlantic Monthly", and he received a check for thirty dollars in payment for the same".
It is believed the small wing was built about 1750 - the larger part about 1815.
The Town of Marlborough, McCourt House
created by
MaryLou Mahan,
Town of Marborough Historian,
Send me a note mlmahan2@pipeline.com
URL:http://www.rootsweb.com/~nycmarlb/