40231 Fairfax Street
Open on Friday: 10am to 5pm
This American Foursquare home was built in 1918 by local builder Eb Devine for William O. Russell, who moved here with his wife and two youngest daughters after selling their nearby farm. The house features characteristic elements of the Foursquare style, including a wide front porch—one of several in town built by Devine. Not long after construction, the double rear porches were enclosed with decorative fish-scale shingles, adding extra space to each floor.
The property sits on land first developed around 1817 by blacksmith Reuben Schooley. During the Civil War, an earlier house on this site played a dramatic role in the 1862 Battle of Waterford. As Union troops camped across the street, Confederate forces advanced through the fields behind the home of Henry and Lydia Virts. Mrs. Virts was summoned three times under a flag of truce during the fierce skirmish before Union soldiers finally surrendered.
The current home has had just three families in its 100+ year history. Remarkably, it still retains its original barn, ice house, and root cellar—rare survivals in the village. The porch pew is a relic from the former Methodist Church on Main Street.
The William Russell House is open through the courtesy of owners the Thompson Family.