The Arrowsmith House
Some references state that this house was built in the 1850s. This house was owned by the Arrowsmiths.
The Arrowsmith brothers (William and Henry) handled funeral arrangements in the town. Their parents were Thomas Henry (1803 -1895) and Ann Eliza (nee Bedle). Thomas was a cabinet maker, a carriage maker, and an undertaker.
The Arrowsmith brothers were involved with the well-known Matawan shark attack of 1916. They handled the Lester Stillwell and Stanley Fisher funerals. Stanley Fisher’s funeral took place here. Lester Stillwell’s funeral took place at the family home on Church Street. The Arrowsmith brothers sold their business in 1922 to George Gundrum, Jr.
Oddly, from 1919-1920, The Matawan Journal was running ads for the Quality Beef Co. giving this address as the location of the store.
In 1934, Henry’s wife, Mary S. Arrowsmith passed away. Later in the 1936 issue of The Matawan Journal, it stated that that George Bell, its founder, occupied this residence. The owners were Mary’s daughters, the Arrowsmith sisters, Eliza and Julia. They continued to live upstairs.
Later, George Harris used the main floor and the street level porch for his hardware store.
Architectural Notes
Built c. 1860 (possibly earlier). Italianate architecture. The arched windows and doors, scroll brackets, and trim are characteristic of both Italianate and Victorian Gothic.
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