5927 Highway 201: The Isaac Longley House

Architecture Style: New England Colonial

Built: 1860

Isaac Longley was a son of planter Israel Longley, who came to Nova Scotia as a boy of 15 with his father, William. William went back to Massachusetts, but Israel stayed to homestead alone. This family had a history of courage and self-reliance: Israel’s grandfather was “John the Captive”, a famous survivor of the 1694 attack on their Groton, MA home. His parents and three siblings were killed that day, and he and two sisters took captive by the Abenaqui. His little sister died on the journey, and his older sister, Lydia, was ransomed and became a Mother Superior in Quebec.  John bonded with his captors but was forced to return to Groton. He became active in the town, and had twelve children: his son William came to Nova Scotia with young Israel in 1760.

Israel and Anna [Kent] had three sons.  Isaac established a farm just east of the Roxbury road, and his brother William had the lands west of that: a solid Longley block south of the river! Isaac married Dorcas Bent, daughter of planter David Bent, and with her, he had eight children. By 1815 she had died, and he married Freelove Dodge, with whom he had four children. Their son Isaac and Catherine [Beals] had six children. This house was of their generation (1823-1914), the typically large and generous home that displaced the first smaller house. Sometimes you can still see, behind or beside a heritage home,  a weathered outbuilding with windows, door, and chimney- and a story of an earlier day.

Though there were many children in the Isaac generations, there was no one to claim this home. The daughters lived in their husband’s family homes, and the sons moved away or built their own places. Clara, the “spinster” daughter, lived with her father until he died, and then the house was sold to Ella [Longley] and Reginald  Mason. Ella had grown up on the next property; she was one of Joseph S. Longley’s sixteen children.  When  Ella died, her father added the property to his own “Hillside Farm”. Ella’s youngest sister, Rosamund, and brother, Bernard, were unmarried, and for a time they lived here. A lab technician and strong temperance advocate, Rosamund was a kind and capable woman who was the Sunday School superintendent for many years. She and Bernard gave the home over to their nephew, Lloyd, and Lloyd to Ted.  It was sold out of the family and new owners enjoyed this classic home.