By Carla Charter

In 1964, Frank Judice and his mother Kathryn Judice of Bellmore, N.Y., left the noise of New York and settled into the former Parsonage in Warwick, according to Edward Hines, Kathryn Judice’s grandson, who currently lives in the Parsonage. The Judices purchased the home from John Carey, son of Ralph Carey, who bought it from the Wendell Congregational Church in 1941.

The Parsonage, which celebrates its bicentennial this year, is the oldest building in the Central Historic District in Wendell, having been built in 1823 on land donated by Joshua Green (Squire Green). It served as a home to 21 pastors between 1823-1923. From 1923-1941 the Parsonage was rented out with several businesses being run from it, including the manufacturing of straw hats and the selling of ice cream, according to www.wendellparsonage.com/history.html.

The house was ‘re-muddled’ in 1899. Remuddling is a term used when a home is remodeled, but in the process, the original character is lost.

“The center entry stairway was moved to the driveway side of the house,” said Hines. “The Ell originally had a center door which was covered over; in 2020 I discovered a cement slab at the place where steps to the Ell were located. The large dining room was divided into two smaller rooms.”

“My uncle Frank and his mother lived in the Parsonage together,” said Hines.

Frank moved out after buying the house on the adjacent property—the location of the old Town Farm—which was owned by Rachel Lowney and built by Tremain Whelpley in 1916.

“They loved it (the parsonage), but it needed a lot of work,” according to Hines. “The barn needed to be rebuilt, one local farmer advised them to tear it down and start all over. There was an outhouse attached to the barn that was rotting and a pile of debris from the fallen carriage shed that was between the ell and the barn. There were broken windows stuffed with rags and lots of squirrels living in the attic. The building had been neglected for a long time and my uncle saved it from falling down. They did not live there for the first year—after that they made the permanent move. They did the repairs themselves as much as they could, (which is) my philosophy as well.”

“Frank Judice owned the Parsonage from 1964 until my wife Sheila and I purchased it in 2000. He basically rebuilt the entire structure top down. In 1990 I moved in when my grandmother could no longer live here,” said Hines.

Hines too has continued doing repairs on the Parsonage. This included uncovering and restoring the original Rumford fireplace in the west parlor, replacing the house and barn sills, adding a new room to the Ell and restoring the kitchen to it’s original location there, restoring the large dining room to original proportions, work that is presently continuing; installing a new cedar roof to replicate the original, replacing the exterior facade, installing new windows, doors, and repainting the home.

Hines said he still makes discoveries at the Parsonage. “I often find things buried. In the 1930s the Parsonage was rented to Mr. and Mrs. Ray Clark. They sold ice cream from the front of the house in the 1930s made by Bemis farms. A few years back I found a tin ice cream sign. I also have found various car parts, bottles, and even a chain-style purse from the early 20th century,” Hines said.

The Wendell Historical Society will sponsor tours of the parsonage at 9 and 10 a.m., prior to Wendell’s Old Home Days on Aug. 12, which start at 11 a.m. Reservations are recommended and can be made at admin@wendellhistoricalsociety.org. Donations are also appreciated.

Carla Charter is a freelance writer from Phillipston. Her writing focuses on the history of the North Quabbin area. Contact her at cjfreelancewriter@earthlink.net.

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