Sometime
during the late seventeen hundreds a small hamlet developed here in
the valley where Uriah Hall had built his mills. The hamlet was first
known as Hall’s Hollow, and when the post office was established
in 1830 it became known as Hall’s Mills.
Near
the center of town where the paper Mill Street meets the main street
was the site of one of the first stores in the hamlet. This site was
most recently occupied by Bell’s tire storage building. In 1844
Alanson Lord purchased the dwelling that then stood where the Makely
House now is. Sometime thereafter he opened a tavern dispensing alcoholic
refreshment to one and all that sought such. This tavern was locally
known as Lant lord’s tavern. Tradition has it that Lant was his
own best customer. Fact, the old folks said that in the springtime
when the bullfrogs in the upper damn began to sound off, they were
saying "Lant’s drunk, Lant’s drunk" and they were
usually right. Lant’s tavern continued well into the fifties
when Halls Mills became Medusa. (July 5, 1850) The map of 1866 shows
the tavern as owned by C. Etheridge.
In
the 1870’s the property came into possession of William Makely,
a carpenter and woodworker who sometime later built the present house
on the spot where the tavern stood. On the old store site, on the
corner, Makely had his carpenter shop. He also converted the old paper
mill down the lane into a barrel factory where for some time he manufactured
apple barrels.
There
were three boys and two girls in the family. One of the girls and
at least two of the boys were amateur musicians. So sometime prior
to he turn of the century, Mr. Makely built the present corner building
as an addition on to his carpenter shop. The downstairs was used as
a wagon house and on the second floor he built a dance hall with a
very unique spring type construction. The floor would actually vibrate
two to three inches under the influence of four sets of square dancers.
This was the place to go on Saturday nights for many years.
During
Mr. Makely’s declining years he spent much of his time at the
rear of his house. His ability as a woodworker was more than equaled
by his skill as a gardener. Each year he managed to grow a small patch
of tobacco from which he made his own cigars. Any peculiar odors remaining
in the old house may be the hangovers from those cigars. After Mr.
Makely’s death, his son-in-law, George Finch, built on to the
old carpenter shop/wagon house and installed a dance floor twice the
size of the one upstairs. This venture was short-lived. He sold the
property to Dean Davis and moved away. Mr. Davis did some extensive
repairs to the house and then sold it. The house has had two other
owners before coming to be owned by Ernest Bell who tore down the
old carpenter shop as well as newer addition.
The
grand old Victorian house, once again renovated and renewed, was for
a time occupied by the offices of Gordon Enk and his associates. William
Clark later purchased it as a home for his parents, Rev. and Mrs.
Richard Clark. For a time Walenta and Clark had their insurance office
in there. Bill Clark’s mother is now the sole occupant of the
house. The Makely house, restored to its original use, lends beauty
and dignity to the hamlet of Medusa.
Source
of historic text: Hilltown Stones and Other Once Told Stories
by Porter Wright
