Hial Danforth Farm

The house on 35 acres was built in the shape of a Latin cross. The foundation is tooled sandstone. The roof extends over the house, allowing for the use of large decorative brackets. The front of the house has a full width, one-story hipped roof porch with capped pillars. The first-floor windows are long and narrow with bracketed shelf cornices over the windows. There is a small addition to the rear structure and handicapped access.

Hial Danforth came to Hudson in 1821 with his parents and siblings. The Danforths left Hudson to seek opportunities in Illinois but only reached Sandusky because of harsh winter weather conditions. Sadly, the impoverished widowed Danforth had to move back to Hudson with her children. Due to illness, Mrs. Danforth then moved to Vermont with her daughters, leaving her sons, Hial, Harrison and William, to apprentice in Hudson. Hial lived with boot and shoemaker John Sawyer until he was 23 when he opened his own shop. In 1831, Hial married Sophie Darrow, daughter of one of the first surveyors of Hudson and Stow, whose family established Darrowville. Tax records also show Hial was a cooper and later, in 1860, he’s listed as a farmer. John and Sophie’s son, Milton, a rural mail carrier and publisher, joined the family farm in 1870. Family heirs continued on the farm until 1936.

Darrowville was a thriving farming village until it became necessary to widen the road to accommodate the General Motors Terex Plant.