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Bell Cottage
The cottage now on the grounds of the museum was
built in 1883. It is one of the few remaining of 26
cottages built to house workers and their families at
Bell Farm. During the heyday of the farm, there were 85
hired men, many housed in these cottages. The cottages
were connected to the main office by a telephone system,
allowing Major Bell to communicate with his foremen
each evening, who would in turn give sub-foremen their
instructions for the following day.
Though Bell Farm had been a going concern for over a
decade, a number of events led to its decline. Finally, in
February of 1896, the farm’s investors filed a statement
of claim against Major Bell, and the land and chattels
were eventually sold by auction.
George (always known as “Pat”) Gibson and his wife,
Irene, had worked for Jack (Jigger) Wilson (son of A. E.
Wilson) on Cumberland Farm. They rented the east farm
from the A. E. Wilson estate and lived in the cottage
from 1951 until 1974, when they moved to town.
The final family to live in this particular Bell Cottage
was that of Bill and Fran Williamson, from 1975 to
1978. The family soon outgrew this five-room home and
built a new house only a short distance south of it.
The family’s Uncle Sam Williamson, recognizing the
building’s historic value, insisted they donate the cottage
to the museum. This was a good solution for everyone,
since it saved the work of demolition, and the cottage
was moved in 1979 to its present site at the museum. It is
one of the oldest buildings in town. TG + DT
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