[This house and the similar house immediately to the west (Br23, 306 Beaver Dam Road) were built at about the same time. While one source indicated that the two houses were built by the younger Hawkins brothers, grandchildren of Selah Hawkins, the elder (Br20) across the road – these would have been Selah and Chauncey Lewis Hawkins. However, the elder brother Henry Egbert Hawkins has been most frequently associated with this site. And the evidence suggest that it was he who indeed built this house.
The 1880 and 1900 census records offered some insight.
In 1880, the census enumerator appeared to have been moving west to east
along Beaver Dam Road. The Louis (Lewis) Hawkins household was listed
first, and consisted of himself, his wife Elmira, his son Chauncy,
Chauncy's wife Elmira, and Chauncy's son George L. Next listed was the
Selah Hawkins household, consisting of himself, his wife Elma, and daughter
Ella. The next was Henry Hawkins, and included his wife Henrietta, and
children Elizabeth and Sherman (also in the household was 18-year old Sadie
Bartoe). The next household listed was that of George Barnett (Burnett)
(Site ID Br18B, 325 Beaver Dam Road). Interestingly, the Harmon Hawkins
household was not recorded, at least not in sequence. It has not been
found on other pages.
In the 1900 census all three brothers -- Selah, Henry, and Chauncey were listed adjacent to each other in that order. They immediately followed the Burnett household in the listing. Following the three brothers in the listing was that of their uncle, Harmon Hawkins (Site ID Br20, 311 Beaver Dam Road). While the census enumerator appeared to be moving generally east to west along Beaver Dam Road, the Hawkins family cluster appeared not to have been taken in order. If they were to have been, Harmon's household would have followed the Burnett household.
In 1900, Chauncy's household included the three brothers' mother Elmira (their father Lewis having died in 1887, and Chauncey's wife Elmira having died in 1888). I think it likely that Chauncey was living in the old Lewis Hawkins' homestead on the north side of Beaver Dam Road, some 300 feet east of his uncle Harmon's homestead (Archeological
Site Br20.1-S, about 305 Beaver Dam Road). This house was subsequently destroyed by fire.
The similar house to the west (see Br23, 306 Beaver Dam Road) was likely built by Selah Hawkins.
Initial Construction Date:
Census and map evidence suggests a construction date 1873-1880. By
1880, Henry Egbert Hawkins had established his own household, most certainly
at this site. It is known that the west 1-story wing of the house was originally a school house built abt 1855 and moved to this site about 1873 when a new schoolhouse was constructed. This suggests two possibilities:
1. That the main body of the house was constructed after the school house was moved, i.e., the main body of the house was an expansion of what was originally a very small cottage.
2. That the main body of the house was constructed at the same time as the move, i.e., it was all part of the same construction project.
A (highly speculative) scenario might have been something like this: Henry Egbert Hawkins and Henrietta Barteau were married on 17 Sep 1871. While initially they may have lived with one or the other of their parents, they needed a home of their own. The schoolhouse became available, and moving it to the site provided a relatively inexpensive solution to the housing problem. The children came along, the last being born in 1878, and an expansion of the small schoolhouse cottage became desirable. It was then that the main 2-story wing was constructed.]
4b-Private Site