Marmaduke Forster House

In 1785, Marmaduke Forster purchased 220 acres of property in what is currently Pleasantville, through the Commission of Forfeitures. He constructed a farmhouse, but no documentation exists that shows what the house looked like at this period of time. However, there is evidence that the farmhouse was around 2,500 square feet and was a one-and-one half story high frame home. By 1815, Forster gave 100 acres of his land to his son John, reducing his own property to 120 acres.

In 1826 Forster passed away. In 1830, Henry Hobby bought the 71 acres of the Forster estate, including the Forster home. Hobby was a leading citizen and a lay preacher. While Hobby owned the home, he dramatically expanded and renovated it in the picturesque Gothic Revival Style. Hobby, like many Gothic Revival Style architects, was inspired by the writings of Alexander Jackson Davis.

The earliest photographic images of the home illustrates the Gothic Revival renovations that occurred during Hobby’s occupancy. Some of these Gothic Revival features included three steeply-pitched gables with decorative verge boards. Also, the raising of the roof on the east with a pyramidical roof form and dormers that represented the unique design of the Gothic Revival style.

In 1869 Hobby passed away, and the next year Nelson Maybee bought the house. In 1892 Nelson’s widow, Sarah Louise Maybee sold the home to George Washburn. Washburn transformed the home from the Gothic Revival style into the Queen Anne style of architecture. Washburn’s inspiration came from his trips to Newport, Rhode Island, with his family where they visited notable Queen Anne style houses such as H.H. Richardson’s 1876 Sherman House. The Queen Anne style of architecture that was demonstrated on the home included asymmetrical composition, a multi-planed roof, a prominent octagonal tower, fancy cut shingles, and windows with upper sash bordered by small colored glass panes.

After Washburn’s death, executors sold the house in 1945, when it was briefly used by the Beecher Funeral Home. After multiple changes in ownership, the home was saved from demolition by the Marmaduke Restoration Partners who bought it for $760,000 in 2002. The most recent renovations on the home was a two story addition which was built in 2007.

1. Henkels, Charles H.. Marmaduke Forster House. National Register of Historic Places. Published December 9th 2010.
2. Foley, Catherine L.. "A green restoration grows in Pleasantville." Trader Real Estate August 28th 2003.
3. Perkins, Carlos . "Restoration of historic Forster house." The Patent Trader (Pleasantville) September 8th 2005. .
4. Schleifer, Adam. "Marmaduke Forster house "a rotting hulk"." The Patent Trader (Pleasantville) September 13th 2001. .