From Philip's north window, he could scan much of the 1,500 acres he’d assembled and see where his farmland dropped from the horizon into the hollow formed by Hemlock Creek where he had established both a flour and a saw mill.
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He was among the original pioneers of the region. As the confusion and trickery of Iroquois land ownership and sale began to abate in 1794, Philip and several relatives from Pawlet, VT visited the area on a prospecting tour. Philip is said to have settled on the site for his home while scanning the area after climbing a tree atop Allens Hill, the highest elevation visible due east of the Homestead.
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What prompted Philip to pack up and move to what was then the frontier of America is not known, but history says many in New England were concerned about overcrowding and looked to migrate elsewhere.
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Philip had carved out a comfortable life in Pawlet following his service with the Vermont Militia during the Revolutionary War. A successful weaver, he had found love after being hired to teach his craft to the daughters of William Fitch. One of those daughters, Margaret Fitch would become his lifelong partner.
