Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:58:44 -0500
From: "HarrietM  Chase" <hatchasse@earthlink.net>

Dudley Chase; more than the Governor's Mansion!
  	Or "trading places"
By Harriet M. Chase
(Published in my local weekly paper; "The Herald"

[Vermont]

It was several months ago <last winter as a matter of fact>  when doing
land record searches at the Randolph Town Archives, a very interesting
fact came to light. At first I thought it could not be, but with months
of going through these records, it can be verified that the esteemed
Dudley Chase, not only built the "governor's mansion" in Randolph Center,
but he also owned the Raymond Chase farm! This farm belongs to Brent
and Regina Beilder today.  <it has recently been coined the "Governor's
Mansion". Chase along with other folks had hoped that Randolph Center
would become the state capital.  It did not>

Raymond and Mary owned the now Beidler farm from 1938-1965, at which
time it was sold to Guy and Alice Lake and Dorothy Wathley. Checking
further back, one can see references to the "Dudley Chase Farm" at the
"Four Corners".  Though it does not seem like four corners now, it can
easily be understood when the stage road came up the South Randolph Road,
right between the Chase house and barn, and on the westerly side of the
veterans cemetery; a four corners is made right at the farm. Names of
other owners which bound this farm and a school "to the south", affirms
the location. This school referred to is the one which was about at the
corner of the South Randolph and Davis Roads.

Just how far Dudley Chase land holdings went towards the Alton Farnsworth
farm and just how much land he DID own in Randolph Center village,
would take another year's worth of study!

The only verification of his purchasing this "Chase farm" is in the
records of TAX Sales in 1808. This shows that Mr. Chase purchased Lot #
23, originally granted to Wm. Lewis, consisting of 226 acres. Chase
bought 214 acres for Three dollars! Upon the death of Dudley Chase,
in 1846, Benjamin W. Dyer bought this land, now consisting of 190 acres
for Two thousand twenty five dollars.

Chase not only took the opportunity of this tax sale to purchase this
farm, but 107 acres of the lot north of the now Beidler farm, wedging
close to the Langevin House.(Veterans Cemetery)  Adjoining these plots
is another piece of land west of which he bought 60 acres.

"Leaving the farm" for a moment, lets look at some of the land that
Dudley Chase did own in Randolph Center village.

We see that Dudley bought 6 acres of land, a few rods North East of the
burying grounds, near the meeting house. To the North or South side of
the highway is not certain. Could it be what the Vermont Tech Orchard
is now?  Possibly for that was part of the Raymond Chase farm until he
sold it to Lawrence and Esther Brigham in 1955.

Briefly and skimming over the land which Dudley Chase sold, show that he
owned much more than the "governor's mansion" in the Center village. He
sold what we would call house lots, which indeed houses were built many
of which majestically stand today.

Dudley Chase was one of fifteen children of Deacon Dudley Chase of
Cornish, NH. who  bought a great deal of land in Bethel Gilead. The
majority of Dudley, Jr. siblings settled in that area. He graduated from
Dartmouth College in 1791 and soon came to Randolph Center to practice
law. His public offices included United States Senator, persecuting
attorney for Orange County and chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme court.

The Raymond Chase family can not claim to being very closely related to
the Dudley Chase family. But adding to another coincidence is that Mary
and Raymond Chase, with their two oldest sons lived at the "governor's
mansion" before buying the now Beidler farm. <The known Dudley chase
"mansion" was purchased by Jacob Kimball Parish> My folks worked the
land and took care of "Widow Parish" and at her death they needed to
seek another place to work and live. So they did!

<the now under Vermont Land Trust is owned by Brent and Regina BEIDLER.
They are very much into organic farming and often make the news, even
have been on the national news>

Harriet, buried under in Randolph!