April 2, 2015

The Hoffman House in Middletown


Two weeks ago I read that Belle Grove was opening for the season and in connection with their celebration, the nearby Hoffman House would be open to visitors on that Saturday afternoon. I'd never been inside it so I wrote down the address. When we got there, there were no obvious signs stating what it was, although two flags were flying above the entrance. As we approached, I noticed a plaque in the front yard.


Martha Pifer Hoffman
1840 - 1922
While buying papers and leaves 
near this spot her clothing caught
faire and she was so severely burned 
that she died a few hours later 
from her injuries. 

The house itself was furnished with antiques and mementos from the people who lived in the house over the years. The oldest part of the house was originally a log cabin constructed around 1797.


4 comments:

  1. What happened to Martha Hoffman was tragic, but the house itself looks interesting. It's definitely been around for a while.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wonder what documents she was burning. Something to hide? Just ordinary everyday nothings? I find it interesting that the curators chose to tell that story of her.

    ReplyDelete

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