by Mark Tappan

The Thaxter Shaw House is one of the most recognizable in Vanceboro. The house was likely built in 1869 or soon after by Thaxter, one of the Shaw brothers whose company bought up enormous amounts of land in Vanceboro and the surrounding area in 1869, in preparation for opening the Shaw Bros’ Tannery. Thaxter Shaw was named the proprietor of the tannery, so he moved his family to Vanceboro to live in this lovely home with its sweeping views of the St. Croix River. It was located on what was designated as “Block A” on the map of the city, created by surveyor John Gardner in 1871–a block of land bounded on the south by First Street, on the west by High Street, and on the east by Water Street.

By March 1870, the federal census in Vanceboro indicates that Thaxter, his wife Maria, and their children, Carrie (age 10) and Frederick (age 5), lived in the house on First Street. The family is still listed as living in the house on the 1880 federal census (Carrie was then 19 and Frederick, was 14). On the well-known 1881 Colby map of cities and towns in Washington County, the house is marked as “T. Shaw’s Res.” 


The Shaw Bros’ went bankrupt and the tannery and most of the Shaws’ property, including, we assume, the Thaxter Shaw House, was sold by 1885. Unfortunately, we don’t know who owned and occupied the house for the next 20 years or so. By 1907, however, it was owned by two prominent figures in town, E.A. Holbrook and Charles Hunter.

In June 1907, Horace Kellogg bought the “block formerly occupied by Thaxter and Fred M. Shaw as homesteads and known as ‘Block A’ on town map” from Hunter and Holbrook. This block included the Thaxter Shaw House. The deed for this sale also marks the first reference to the Fred Shaw house, which we assume was located on High Street just north of the Shaw/Exchange Hotel and just west of the Thaxter Shaw House. 

We don’t know exactly when the Kellogg family moved into the Thaxter Shaw house. The 1900 federal census indicates that Horace and his family (wife Alice, and children Horace jr, Harold, and Thelma) were living on First Street North, which would be the right location for the Thaxter Shaw house, but Horace didn’t officially own the house until 1907. This is a mystery.

Another mystery: the 1910 federal census indicates that Horace Kellogg and his family (Alice, Horace jr, Harold, and Thelma) were living on High Street (not First Street). Perhaps they were living in the Fred Shaw house across the street from the original Kellogg homestead? Or perhaps they were living in the Thaxter Shaw house and the census taker simply recorded the wrong street (there are no listings for any residences on First Street in this census)?

Sadly, Horace Kellogg died in 1917, the year after his store on First Street, the first non-Shaw-owned store in town, burned along with the Exchange Hotel. In 1918 his oldest son, Carl, deeded to his stepmother, Alice, multiple properties, including both the “Thaxter Shaw” place and the “Fred Shaw Place (see above). Alice continued to live in the Thaxter Shaw house. This is confirmed by the 1920 federal census, which indicates that Harold Kellogg (Horace’s second oldest son), his wife Alice, and his mother Alice, were living on First Street. 

In March of 1920 Alice Kellogg and Harold Kellogg deeded to Thelma Louise Kellogg property on High Street north of the “so-called Tague Hotel lot” which seems to be the Fred Shaw portion of the “so-called Thaxter and Fred Shaw lot, more lately the homestead lot of Horace Kellogg.” There is no evidence, however, that Thelma ever lived in the Fred Shaw House. By 1920 she was away attending graduate school and then teaching at Southern Illinois State Teachers College.  

The 1930 federal census lists Alice Kellogg as head of household, living with Harold (son) and his wife Alice in the Thaxter Shaw House on First Street.

Alice Kellogg died in 1939. Her will left to Thelma L. Kellogg and Harold Kellogg “my entire homestead situated in said Vanceboro, sometimes called the Thaxter Shaw House.” The 1940 federal census lists Harold Kellogg as head of household, living with his wife Alice and sister Thelma, in the Thaxter Shaw house on First Street (Thelma left Illinois and returned to Vanceboro because of poor health).

Harold died in 1944 and Thelma soon followed in 1946. Thelma’s 1947 will placed all of her possessions and property into a trust controlled by Merril Trust Bank. In 1947 Warren and Elizabeth Dudley purchased the Thaxter Shaw house from Thelma Kellogg’s estate. Their deed included protracted discussion about a right-of-way on the west side of the Thaxter Shaw house lot.  

In 1953 the Thaxter Shaw house was purchased from Warren and Elizabeth Dudley by Charles and Mary Whitcomb. The newly renamed “Hilltop House” became a popular hotel. Salesmen who came from Bangor by rail often stayed the night at the hotel and townspeople have memories of watching guests, Boston Red Sox players Ted Williams and Bill Monbouquette, play catch on the inn lawn. 

Charles Whitcomb died in 1965. His wife, referred to as M. Jessamine Whitcomb, deeded the Hilltop House to Margaret E. Baker, her personal representative. In 1988 the Hilltop House was purchased from Margaret E. Baker by Roger and Louise Labossiere. The Labossiere’s dubbed the First Street right-of-way to the house Winchester Way.

In 2002 Louise Labossiere deeded co-ownership of the Hilltop House to her son, Joseph Labossiere. They currently co-own what is, without a doubt, one of the oldest and most historically significant houses in Vanceboro.