Peter and Elizabeth Mott’s house: refuge, memory and rescue

A household with property and standing

The society’s research account records Peter Mott’s first house-lot purchase in 1844 for $100. It compares the 1850 census, valuing his real estate at $600, with the 1870 valuation of $1,000. Mott and his wife Elizabeth Ann lived in the settlement known as Snow Hill or Free Haven. He also served the local church and became its Sunday School superintendent in 1847. Lawnside Historical Society’s research account.

What supports the refuge account?

The National Register nomination attributes the Underground Railroad connection to substantial circumstantial evidence and oral testimony. The society’s fuller learning page likewise acknowledges that no contemporary account directly verifying Mott’s role has been found. That qualification belongs beside the story, even when brief museum descriptions state the role more confidently. 1994 National Register nomination; Lawnside Historical Society’s research account.

The nomination dates construction to about 1845, with an addition around 1870. Its architectural survey separates the original basement from the addition’s shallow crawlspace. Those observations document how the house developed; they do not establish a secret tunnel or identify a particular freedom seeker sheltered inside. 1994 National Register nomination.

Neighbors prevented demolition

After the last occupant died in 1987, a developer acquired the property and planned to demolish the old house. Residents organized to save it, secured a preservation study and obtained the building for a museum. The nomination records this intervention while the structure was still stabilized but in poor condition. 1994 National Register nomination.

The historical society dates its founding to March 1990 and receipt of the deed to February 20, 1992. After restoration, the museum opened in October 2001. Preservation made the house available for further study as well as remembrance. Lawnside Historical Society’s preservation history.