Welcome to the Hill House

The Hill House Photograph
(A photo of the house February, 1998)

Currently I (Joe Brandt) am fortune enough to be one of the Hill house's permanent residents.
Other occupants have been:
 

1914-1920 Walter & Margie Arbogast
1920-1950 Henry & Nettie Sheets
1950-1956 Dale & Ruby Hill
1956-1958 (Unoccupied ??)
1958-1961 Grote Reber, Fred Crews, George Grove, Howard Lake, John Findlay, Richard Emerson, Charles Dunbar, T.K. Menon, Omar Bowyer, Bill Meredith, Bill Waltman, Lloyd Berkner, Lewis Burchill, Dave Hog
1961-1964 Barry Clark
1965 Pat Palmer, Bill Waltman, Eugene Epstien, Pigeon, Pollion, Brown, Bailey, Ben Zuckerman, Maddox, Alan Barret, Yervant Terzian, Frank Drake, Michael Dewey, Henry Grahn
1966 Art Robichaud, Zigmond Turlo, Bill Ogden, John Schraml, Karl Wesslling, Pete Henderson, Magne Hagstrom, John Finley
1967 Art Robichaud, Magne Hagstrom, Bob Swenson, Karl Wesslling, Pete Henderson, John Payne
1968 John Payne, Magne Hagstrom, Jesse Davis
1968(Nov)-1972 Michael M Davis & Family
1972-1978 Richard Fleming & Family
1978-1983 Craig & Pepper Moore
1984-1985 Wolfgang Batrla  (Rich on LOA)
1983-1996 Rich Lacasse & Family
1996-present Joe, Shelly, Patrick, Laura & Steven Brandt
The reason the house is still called the Hill house is because each house purchased by the observatory was named after the last owner of the house.
The following is an article, which first appeared in the April 1974 issue of The Observer, written by Richard Fleming.
    The setting was 1914, as early America was still being discovered, .... at least in West Virginia.
    As the late afternoon shadows of Middle Mountain drifted across the beautiful valley of  Deer Creek in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, Walter and Margie Arbogast carefully selected the site of their new home. It would be on a plot of newly logged land containing of future meadow and farming fields, 3 or 4 springs, and access to the small road (Hannah Run Rd.) leading to the village of Arbovale, a half a mile away. The house was to be about 100 yards from the edge of Hospital Run, which lead from Arbovale to Deer Creek -- a little over a quarter mile northwest of the house site.
    The Arbogasts moved into the house in 1915, (see photo) and lived there until 1920. Henry and Nettie Sheets and their children, Delora, Orville, and Gay, bought the 59 acres in April 1920. The Sheets family, growing with the addition of Jamie and Susie, lived in the house until 1950.
    The farm was then purchased by Dale and Ruby Hill, who lived in the house until 1956. The Army Corps of Engineers bought the farm, along with other farms in the valley, as the site for what was to become the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.   Each house that was purchased was named after the last family living in it. Therefore the Arbogast/Sheets/Hill House became the Hill House.
    Since the Hill House was in such good shape and had four bedrooms upstairs, it was chosen to be the first residence hall for scientists and engineers working on the site. The house was remodeled inside, bathrooms were added, a furnace was installed, the kitchen enlarged, and a laundry room added.
    Through the years many people have lived in the house and enjoyed the meals prepared by Nellie Arbogast, Virginia Irvine, Verna Tracy, and Cleo Harper before the new and present residence hall opened in 1959. Even after the new hall opened, many people lived at the Hill House.
    I have listed the names and dates of people who have lived in the Hill House at one time or another; some were co-ops, some summer students, some transients and some permanent. Some of the names are based upon recollection, and some on records. If I missed anybody, please let me know because I am preparing a "Hill House History Book" that will become a permanent member of the house.

Well, in 1998 the house is now occupied by Joe and Shelly Brandt, with our three kids Patrick, Laura and Steven, our two horses Twix and Dusty, two dogs Shadow and Nipper, and three cats Smooch, Hershey and Boo. It's still a wonderful place to raise kids, and enjoy life.

Also See "History of the Arbovale Post Office"

Other views of the Hill house are:

Last Update 3/02/2001