344 Hudson Street

The large wood frame house on the eastern corner of Hudson Street and Orton Place is distinguished by its many unique exterior details.  When built the home featured roof cresting and many different surface treatments including angled windows, clapboard siding and shingles.

This home was built on speculation by H. H. Boughton, a milk dealer and developer who lived at 344 Hudson Street before Orton Place was opened in 1885.  In July, 1889 Sally E. Boughton, his wife, sold this property to Hattie B. Haven for the sum of $7,500.  Mrs. Haven enlarged this building and used it as an elegant boarding house along with 334 Hudson/10 Orton Place.  Just two years after Mrs. Haven opened the boarding establishment, a Victorian "sensation" broke out in this home. 

Hattie B. Haven purchased 344 Hudson and 336 Hudson (aka 10 Orton Place) and ran both houses as an upscale boarding house.  She expanded 344 Hudson in the late 1880s. 

However, soon thereafter, the costs and burdens of keeping the boarding house was too much for her and she abandoned the houses and fled to Toronto.  Local accounts in the press said:

 “There seems to be much sympathy for Mrs. Haven.  The life of the boarding-house keeper is a hard one at best, and it takes talent to make money in the business.  It is said that the poor woman in her distress could see nothing but bills plastered over the walls of her room and was in danger of going insane.”

No. 344 Hudson St.  continued to be used as a boarding house and by 1900 it was managed by Mary McCabe and Elizabeth Braynard. 

From 1912-1916 this home was owned and operated as the Wheel Chair Guild Home, now known as the Schofield Residence, an organization still in existence.  Its website is:  http://www.schofieldcare.org/.