The 1861 Lee & Marsh Washington County survey map provided the starting point for researching the home. An “A. Leighton” is listed at the house’s current location between Samuel Cleaves and Guilford Cleaves’ properties. Stylistically, the house is a modest side-hall Greek Revival cape, a style popular in Maine and New Hampshire farmhouse design between 1850-1880. The Wallace map indicates a structure on the property as of 1861.

More details on the Leighton house can be found here.

428 Rogers Point Road House Genealogy

Amesbury Leighton: 186x to Nov. 28, 1867

“A. Leighton” on the 1861 map refers to Amesbury Leighton (1829-1903), the 8th of 13 children born to Jonathan (Jr.) (1792-1865) and Lydia [Strout] Leighton (1793-1870) in Steuben, Maine. His twin, Millbury, died at the age of 13.

Amesbury is descended from Thomas Leighton (1740-1803). Born in New Hampshire, Thomas moved with his family to the Steuben area around 1765(?). They had 14 children. Their son, Jonathan Leighton (Sr.), was born in 1769 (1769-1847). He married Hannah [Dyer] Leighton (1771-1861, daughter of Captain Henry Dyer III and Elizabeth Simonton). Jonathan Jr. was the first of their 13 children. As early settlers, the Leighton family had extensive land holdings in Steuben and were provided settlement grants in several areas within Steuben township.

Amesbury Leighton (1829-1903) married Ann Marie Cleaves (1837-1913) on December 25, 1854. Ann Marie was the daughter of Oliver (1801-1885) and Persis [Leighton] Cleaves (1807-1884). Her mother was also the daughter of Jonathan Leighton Sr. (1769-1847) and Hannah Leighton (1771-1861), making Amesbury and Ann Marie first cousins. Amesbury was a seaman and then ship captain, sailing from NYC to foreign ports and surviving several shipwrecks – one with a cargo of corn on Hens and Chickens Ledge in Buzzard’s Bay. After 20 years at sea, he became a ship’s carpenter in Milbridge. In 1901, he moved to Camden with his family.

There is no record I can find on the original land transfer, but it’s a strong possibility that Ann Marie’s parents or uncles may have given them the 8-acre Rogers Point land as a wedding gift around 1854. The property sits at the intersection of her father Oliver’s property, Samuel Wakefield Cleaves (her uncle), and Guilford P. Cleaves (her brother) properties. I ran across a record of a mortgage transaction for Amesbury and Ann Marie in 1858, but I haven’t been able to locate it again.

1863 Civil War draft records indicate that Amesbury served in the 11^th Maine division (I could not confirm this in the Maine civil war archives, although I did find his cousins).

The 1867 deed transfer from Amesbury to his brother Edwin outlines a description of the property. The original 8-acre lot extended from the shoreline going east.

Edwin Leighton: 1867 to 1883

Edwin Leighton (b.1834, d.1891)

After the death of their father, Jonathan, the family shifted locations. Acting as executor, Edwin sold their parents’ homestead (628 Rogers Point Road) to his brother Amesbury, providing that he and his wife would care for their mother through her natural life. Edwin then bought Amesbury’s house. According to census and Civil War draft records, Edwin was crippled. As of the 1860 census, he still lived with his parents at age 27 but had a trade as a shoemaker.

129:277 Edwin Leighton (as executor) to Ann Marie Leighton, Nov. 28, 1867

“In consideration of $1000…a certain tract of land being the homestead of the late Jonathan Leighton known by the name of Roger’s Point lots numbered 78 and 79 on the plan of said town of Steuben, reserving a lot of 27 acres sold to Caleb Parritt from the north side of said lot no. 70…, 173 acres…and it’s further understood that Amesbury Leighton shall maintain and support his mother Lydia Leighton during her natural life, that is, provide suitable necessaries for her both in health and sickness whichever required for her comfort and convenience.”

By the 1870 census, Amesbury (occupation: house carpenter) and his family (four children) are listed at the property with his mother Lydia (age 77) and his great uncle Eleazer (age 70).

I was unable to find a specific date, but Edwin married Mary J. Worth (b. 1846, d.?) sometime before the birth of their only daughter, Ida May, in 1867. She was born in Nova Scotia but lived in South Thomaston, Maine, as of 1860 [census]. Edwin was 12 years her senior. As of the 1880 census, Edwin Leighton and his family still lived in the home. Edwin was a shoemaker by trade. In the 1881 Steuben town map, Edwin’s shoe shop is located on the Village Road near the town square.

Julia Ryder: 1883 to Feb. 5, 1891

Edwin sells his Steuben property in 1888 to his cousin Julia Ryder at a loss ($280). Julia Ann (Pinkham) Ryder (b. 1842, d. 1913); in 1880 was living with husband, Stephen Ryder (fisherman) and his brother Philbrook in Steuben; they married in 1870. Julia was the daughter of Joel and Lovicia [Leighton] Pinkham. Lovicia was the daughter of Eleazar (who was living with Amesbury et al. in the Jonathan Leighton house as of 1870).

Edmund C. Pinkham: 1891 to 1893

The property transaction was indexed in 1893-94, but the deed book from that year is not available. Julia sells the property to Edmund for $300.

John S. Dunifer: 1893 to 1930(?)

John Dunifer purchases the property in 1893. There are no details other than a reference to the purchase in the deed books. John Sullivan Dunifer (b. 1860, d. 1925) married Cora L. Yeaton (b.1827, d.1940) in May 1893, so that might have been around the time he purchased the house. He was living with his parents in Gouldsboro in 1880 as a horse trainer; by 1900, his occupation was fisherman, and he had no children; in 1910, his occupation was teamster/farmworker, Cora was a farmer, and they had the same occupation in 1920. By the 1930 census, Cora was a widow (head of household) living with her sister Abbie Leighton (widowed) and her granddaughter Eugenie E Davis (age 25), but probably not at Leighton house(?). The name Dunifer appears as Dumfer, Dunniver, and Dunivan, making the search difficult.

Chester “Chet” H. Dennison: 1930(?) to July 9, 1958

The purchase date is unknown (see above), but Chester H. Dennison (b.1868 Portland, d.1957) may have purchased it in the early 1930s. As of the 1920 census, it looks like Chester lived just down the road by himself (he’s still listed as married) to the right of the Moore house (#438). He’s a machinist at a shoe factory; as of 1930, he’s living by himself (next door to George Stanwood) as a “farmer.” In the 1940 census, Esther Dunifer is listed as a “housekeeper” to Chester (she is 56 and he is 65 at this time). His occupation is listed as team operator on a farm. They have the same household relationship as of the 1950 census.

From Roberta: “Chet used to have a Ford Model T. It was the only car on that part of Rogers Point Road and he used to give people rides in it.”

Esther Dunifer: July 9, 1958 to Aug. 5, 1961

Esther [Stanwood] (b.1883, d.1977 – Machias) was the wife of Foster Jones Dunifer (laborer), daughter of George & Mary Persis [Cleaves] Stanwood. In 1910, she is a servant at a household in Camden (the Hanleys). She married Foster in 1918, when she was 34 and he 45. Foster died in 1930. Foster is John Dunifer’s brother. It appears that Chester passed the property to Esther after his death in 1957. Esther records it as a life estate to Hilda in 1961.

Hilda Delaine: Aug. 5, 1961 to June 12, 1970

Hilda is the niece of George Stanwood, likely living in the Moore house next door as of 1920 (formerly George Cleaves’ house). The 1920 census says she’s from Sweden (age 16). In 1930, she was a border at a house in Danville, New Hampshire, working as a bookkeeper in a shoe factory; in 1950, she is still a lodger and a bookkeeper in NH (missing 1940). Hilda sells the property in 1970. Esther dies in 1977 in Machias. It appears that the property sat vacant for some time during this period. Ronald Harrington says that the “windows were broken, and raccoons were living in it. It was about to fall down.”