I first came upon the decrepit old mansion in 1996. It was in an extremely neglected condition and reminded me of the Bates House from the movie "Psycho". I was traveling to Canandaigua to visit my daughter and had missed the proper exit on the Expressway. Venturing down uncharted paths led to Route 371 in Cohocton.

It was an awesome structure and more of a curiosity than a serious desire to acquire that caused me to drive by again and again for the next three years.

Meanwhile its condition got worse and worse. It was mesmerizing and when the house finally was put up for sale in 1998 I was completely hooked.

I purchased the house, decided to convert it into a bed and breakfast, and because
it had all been so serendipitous I decided that I would name the business The Villa Serendip Bed and Breakfast at the Woodworth House.

At that time I knew nothing about the history of the house or its original owners.

The house was infested with raccoons, red squirrels, and field mice. The siding was literally falling off and the inside was worse than the outside. But The Villa Serendip had been born.

People came by and said, "You are going to do what?" They all told me I was crazy. My family referred to the house as "Fran's Folly". But then the magic began:

Goethe said, "The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that could otherwise never have occurred. A whole strem of events, issues from that decision, raising in one form or manner of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way."

I think that to state it simply: "God sends his angels!" We started on the brush which had enshrouded almost the entire house and discovered walkways, a hitching post and a large piece of quarry stone near the road that had been used to dismount from carriages in an era long ago. On the front of the stone was etched "WOODWORTH". The magic had begun. There are a thousand stories surrounding the mystic of the mansion and I love to share them with interested friends, all that is required is interest.

…. the business became, The Villa Serendip Bed and Breakfast at the "Woodworth House". Now it was time to begin the genealogy of the Woodworth Family. Thanks to the genealogical endeavors of Woody Woodworth and the internet the history of this grand old house and its residents was revealed.

Samuel Fitch Woodworth is written up in A HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY with the following information: About 1860, Samuel, son of Calvin Van Kirk Woodworth of Cohocton, moved his family from the top of Lent Hill in Cohocton, (Steuben County) to River Road; midway between Cohocton and North Cohocton, where he was engaged in the occupation of farmer. (State Route 371 was originally River Road.) He was a direct descendant of Walter Woodworth of Scituate, MA. Born about 1612, Walter Woodworth was one of America's first settlers. He was a Man of Kent, is believed to be buried in Kent Cemetery, and was a member of the First Church. He helped to settle Scituate. He came to America from England as an indentured person and became a Freeman. In payment for that indenture, Walter received three pieces of land which he farmed. He had thirteen children and his genealogy can be traced by visiting the Woodworth Genealogy Website. He was a Man of Kent and a member of the First Church and helped to settle Scituate.

Woodworth Genealogy Pages

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