1876
Martin Henderson and Louisa Sargent Harris built this home in 1876. It was a frame house, lined with adobe bricks, and built around their original log home (1851). Harris was the first permanent settler in the area and the log home was used as the first school in the settlement.
This same year (1876), during the commemoration of the United States Centennial Year, Harris planted 100 trees.
The home was located about a block south of West Harrisville Road, and about 200 feet west of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks (where the soccer fields are located near the north entrance to the Weber County Fairgrounds today).
1976
In the bicentennial year 1976, Harrisville City officials received state funds for development of a bicentennial project. They chose to build a cabin for community use on property where a grove of trees stood. Although it was later proven that the trees in the grove were not old enough to be part of Martin’s original 100 trees, they are an appropriate reminiscence of his contribution in 1876.
Labor to build the cabin was provided mainly by citizen volunteers. An old wagon found on the property had three wheels in good condition which Keith Hardy and Lowell Knight converted into three chandeliers for the cabin. William Smith constructed the rock fireplace. The descendants of Martin Henderson Harris unveiled a monument in his honor on September 27, 1955, which is featured on the property today.
In 1940, the properties and homes of several Harrisville citizens were sacrificed (condemned) by the United States Government, including all on the south side of West Harrisville Road from the railroad tracks to 1200 North, and from West Harrisville Road south – which included a portion of the settlements of Marriott and Slaterville. The property was taken to establish a Federal Defense Supply Depot which also included prisoner of war camps for Italian and German prisoners during World War II.
Some of the properties confiscated included: Harrisville Founder Martin Henderson Harris (over 28 acres), Martin D. Harris (32 acres), Leander L. Harris (over 31 acres), Edward P. Larsson (84 acres), Jens Anderson (67 acres), Annie Swanson (three tracks of land totaling 58.26 acres), and other homes and properties.
One home was moved across West Harrisville Road and established on the north side (1020 West Harrisville Road).