The building known as the “Old Stone Store” had many lives before being turned into the Alice T. Miner Museum.
Photograph, labeled “Scott’s Store, now Colonial Home”; ca. 1916
The museum building stands on a lot that was part of the Canadian and Nova Scotia Refugee Tract, which was set aside by the State of New York for Canadian sympathizers who participated in the American Revolution. Lot 172 was granted to Jacob Van der Hayden in 1790, and in 1803 he sold eighty acres to Seth Graves. Benjamin Wait was the next owner of the property and operated a store at this location. He in turn sold part of the land to Ebenezer Ascher Scott, who constructed a one-story stone dwelling and store around 1812. In 1824, two upper floors were added, the third floor being a single large room with a vaulted ceiling which was used by the members of Harmony Lodge No. 1, Chazy’s first Masonic lodge, for their meetings.
Photograph labeled “1917 – Old Stone Store, Chazy N.Y.”
Ebenezer Scott left Chazy for California in 1850. The structure was used by a number of other local merchants over the years and briefly served as the town post office in the early 1870s. James Philander Forbes, a cabinetmaker, casketmaker, and undertaker, operated his business there from around 1880 until his death in 1907. Some years later, the building was purchased by Clarence H. Jones, operator of the Chazy Marble Lime Works, who intended to turn it into apartments for his employees. But before this plan was carried out, in June 1916, Alice and William Miner purchased the property, along with the adjoining lot to the south. Additional structures on the site were razed, and construction on the Old Stone Store began in 1923.