Broken headstone of Clarendon founder will be repaired
Photo courtesy of Peter Turkow
CLARENDON – An anonymous donor has committed to paying the cost for cleaning, repairing and resetting the headstone for Clarendon’s founder, Eldredge Farwell.
Farwell is buried at Pettengill Cemetery on Hibbard Road. He was the town’s first white settler of town. Farwell built the first mills in Clarendon, with a saw mill in 1811, and then a grist mill in 1813.
His headstone is broken near the bottom. It lists his death as Oct. 15, 1843. He was born in March 6, 1770 at Charlestown, New Hampshire. Farwell initially settled around nearby Clarkson along the Ridge Road.
His brother Isaac settled nearby to the west of the Ridge Road and Lake Road intersection in the same location, according to a column by former Orleans County Historian Matt Ballard.
“As so many historians have recorded, the story of Clarendon’s foundation occurred by happenchance after the unfortunate escape of Isaac Farwell’s horse around 1810,” Ballard wrote in a column posted on Jan. 20, 2018. “Following the animal’s trail along the bank of Sandy Creek, it is said that Eldredge stumbled upon a waterfall and while recognizing its potential for power, decided that he should settle the area.
“Farwell purchased approximately 210 acres the following year and relocated his wife and five children to the area in the spring of 1811. With that acreage upon which the beautiful waterfall sat came the mill privilege, providing him with the opportunity to construct a grist mill on the site.”
Farwell would be elected Clarendon town supervisor, and he operated the first post office at the location then known as “Farwell’s Mills.” He was later selected as a judge in the court of common pleas and from that point on was known locally as Judge Farwell, Ballard wrote.
Peter Turkow, the Clarendon historian, said a donation will cover the costs of repairing and resetting the headstone. Brigden Memorials in Albion is taking on the job. Turkow said the repaired headstone could be reset in the fall.
Another headstone of a prominent early resident also is broken and Turkow said some money has been pledged to fix it, but more is needed. Benjamin Pettingill (1795-1870) is the namesake for the cemetery and served as a Clarendon town supervisor.
