The Markle House

If you drive by The Markle House you will typically find the drive gate open – we want to always be approachable, open to the community that sees this place as their local treasure. We very much welcome and enjoy conversations with the passerby who sees us working in the yard or sitting on the porch and stops to share their connection to the home or ask about something they’ve always wondered. Preserving this community’s history is what we signed up for.

Many people seem to think it is a museum (or that we are preparing it to be one), a public tourist attraction, or part of Mill Dam Park. Although the interior of the house certainly is neat to see, nothing remains that belonged to the Markle family. When the Historical Society owned it, the intention was to make it into a museum, but when that proved to be too costly, it became a private residence.

There are other reasons as well. We’ve had a couple of instances where someone visited who was clearly casing the house, forcing us to install security cameras. Inviting the public onto the property opens us up to liability our homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover. And there is the simple fact that it’s hard to make your home your own when there is so much critique of everything you do and unsolicited advice.

Among the intentions for this site is the desire to share the home with the community without compromising our privacy. We hope you enjoy the virtual tours of the home’s exterior and interior. We’ll continue to add to them! We have given private tours to a few people who have a special connection to the house. Feel free to reach out with such a request! Perhaps someday there will be a good opportunity to be part of a Holiday Home Tour or host an event for the Historical Society, but until those special events arrive, we ask that you please respect our privacy.