

From past to present
Our History
The “1844 House” was originally built as a farmhand’s home, circa 1844, by Ira T. French. Later the house was sold to William Perry French, a son of Ira’s. He expanded the building to house a general store and community hall. William French sold the property in 1885.
A hundred years later, Sally T.S. Dingsoyr (a sixth-generation descendant of Ira French) and Gigi J. Schreiber bought the house in 1985 and converted it into a restaurant. It opened as “French’s 1844 House” in February of 1986 and featured French influenced Continental Cuisine until it closed in 2001.
After five years of “hibernation” the restaurant was “re-awakened” in May of 2006 by husband and wife culinary team Brian & Jenny Walker.
On November 1, 2021, the restaurant began a new era within the community. The Niles family took ownership of the 1844 House, with a vision focused on providing a high-quality farm to table dining experience.