Some postcards of the Tower Homestead. The article from 1954 that is attached describes the sale of the Tower Homestead by Jeoffrey Tower. It ended 150 years of Tower family ownership.
I acquired this papers years ago in an auction. Included with these papers were many letters from Charlemagne II (Charles) Tower to his father Charlemagne Sr. I hope one day to post them so that family members can understand the thoughts of Charlemagne II (Charles) so long ago. At the time he was in Liverpool England in 1867 and wrote very long letters to his father. The letters are difficult to transcribe owing to his writing between the lines on a thin tissue like paper. I guess they really believed in waste not want not.
Tower Homestead and Masonic Temple, also known as Harding Residence and Masonic Temple, is a historic home and Masonic Temple located at Waterville in Oneida County, New York.
The house is an 85-by-50-foot (26 by 15 m) residence and consists of three attached sections: a central Greek Revival style, two-story central section built-in 1830; an older Federal-style wing built about 1800; and a west wing built-in 1910 by Charlemagne Tower, Jr.
The homestead also includes a small brick building built as a law office by Charlemagne Tower and later used as a schoolhouse, a barn, two-horse barns, the old gardener’s house, a small bathhouse, two modern garages, and a modern nursing home (1973).
The Masonic Lodge building was built-in 1896 by Reuben Tower II as an office. It was later purchased by a local Masonic Lodge and used as a meeting hall. It features a 103-foot-tall (31 m), three-stage tower. Below is a photo of the tower.
Here is some sale information and legal description for the Tower Homestead:
Here is a blueprint done at the time of the sale when after over 120 years the property was forever not owned by a Tower family member.
Below is a Deed for Easement for the area where water pipes would bring running water to the property. It is dated 1885 and was made to Amelia Malvina wife of Charlemagne I., mother of Charlemagne II (Charles). I copied the whole deed because it gives interesting information about the property
Here are the Tower Generations that lived in the house
Reuben Tower & Deborah Pearce Children of Reuben
I. Charlemagne Tower I b.18 April 1809 d. 24 February 1923 II. Julius Tower b.17 April 1811 III. Henrietta b.30 August 1814 IV. Fayette Bartholomew Tower b.29 January 1817 V. Dewitt Clinton Tower b. 21 August 1821 VI. James Monroe Tower b.30 August 1823 VII. Francis Marion b.30 August 1825 VIII. Reuben Tower b.30 August 18
Charlemagne I>Reuben
Children of Charlemagne Tower I
I. Charlemagne Tower II b. 1848 married in 1847 Amelia Malvina b 1819 II. Sakau Louisa b. 6 Aug 1848 III. Deborah Taylors b. 4 February 1851 IV. Emma b. 15 June 1852 V. Elizabeth b. 2 March 1854 VI. Iikuietta b. 26 October 1856
Charlemagne II>Charlemagne I>Reuben
Children Charlemagne Tower, II
I. Charlemagne Tower III b. 19 March 1889. II. Geoffrey b. 1 July 1890
Charlemagne III>Charlemagne II>Charlemagne I>Reuben
Children of Charlemagne Tower III
I. Charlemagne ‘Peter’ Tower IV b. 1934
Charlemagne IV>Charlemagne III>Charlemagne II>Charlemagne I>Reuben
Geoffrey Tower was the last owner of Tower Homesead
Estate Sale Treasure Hunter 
James, I do not remember if I emailed you back about the Tower’s. Did you know the Towers or are you related?
I have many letters and receipts going back to 1840’s for a grain mill Ruben Tower owned (father of Charlemagne Sr.) Also many letters from family members, embassy letters from Charlemagne Jr (Was an Ambassador) to Sr. and his son Geoffrey. Letter from Charles (another son of Sr.) in 1870’s and his involment in purchasing commodity in England, very shrewd and sophisticated from one letter I read.
I haven’t read 90% of letters because I have so many archives of different families and do not have the time. If you are related would like to know if there are any direct relations to Ruben Tower father of Char. Sr.
Thanks.
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These pics are awsome.
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