Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1903 — The Earliest Frame Building. [ARTICLE]

The Earliest Frame Building.

One by one the few remaining buildings of pioneer days in Rensselaer are disappearing before the march of progress. One of these, not torn down, bnt moved baok into obscurity, was in some respeots, one of unusually interesting history. It is the small one story building on Cordeli* street, until lately occupied as an offioe by A. L. Branch’s wood and coal yard, and, removed by him to make room for a new building. This old building was erected in the spring of 1839, by James 0. Vanßensselaer, the founder of the town, and was the first frame building eyer built in Rensselaer The main timbers were hewn out. but the studding and boards were sawn, and made at Mr, Van Rensselaer’s own saw mill, which formerly stood where Joe Sharp’s

picture gallery now is. This house stood on the west side of Front street, where the residence of De. los Thompson now is, and it was moved to its more reoent looation to make room for Mr. Thompson’s house. Mr. Vanßensselaer lived in the house as long as he was a resident of Rensselaer, and his death ooourred in it. Its chief architect and builder

was Mose Clifton. He was no great workman when it oame to anything above a log house, and when it came to “raising” the honae, whioh in those days was nsnallly done by a free “bee” of all male inhabitants of the vicinity, the timbers were so mixed up and badly fitted that it took three days tor the “raising” And when

it was done Sammy Sparling, the wit of the town, and the grandfather of the rising Prof. S. E. Sparling, sprung this little verse: “It’s Van Rensselaer’s pleasure And Weston’s delight, Was raised in three days And will fall-down tonight. And sure enough, aooording to Unole Jared Benjamin, it did fall down that very night, and the raising all had to be done over again.