The Joseph Knight Sr and Josiah Stowell homes are a MUST see if you are going through the area on a church history tour.
It’s only about a 30-minute drive from the Priesthood Restoration site
to reach these two historic homes.
The Colesville Branch which was one of the first branches of the church was established in this area in 1830 when about 85 people were baptized. Records indicate that 62 of these people were part of the Joseph and Polly (Peck) Knight families.
The Knight and Peck families were true friends to the prophet and very devoted to serving the Lord; they sacrificed much and consecrated themselves to the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ.
Josiah Stowell employed Joseph and even sold part of his farm to help publish the Book of Mormon.
This area is truly a great hidden gem when visiting historical sites of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Come take a personal tour of these two homes that are about 2 miles apart. Plan for at least an hour if you want to see both homes. Or if time is short the volunteer docents will fit the tour to meet your time schedule.
Joseph Knight, Sr Home
1963 E Windsor Rd
Nineveh, NY 13813
Josiah Stowell Home
323 State Highway 7
Afton, NY 13813
Site Hours:
Monday to Saturday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm
The 2023 Season runs from Monday, May 1 through Sunday, October 29th.
Docent contact number – For questions or to let us know that you are coming.
(607) 595-0732
Individuals and families are welcome to come – if possible, call ahead and we’ll make sure that we’ll be available to give you a personal tour.
Tour groups and buses are also welcome, but we would recommend that you definitely give us a call before you come so that we don’t overlap larger tour groups. If you’re thinking about coming, we are very accommodating – there is a special spirit present in these two homes, you will definitely be glad you made the time to come visit.
History of the Restoration of the Joseph Knight Sr Home
The Knight Farm Home Restoration began in 2004, when a group of friends, Raphael and Shari Mecham, Steve and Pat Glenn, and Paul and Ann Painter learned that the old Knight Farm Home in Colesville was up for sale. Together they decided to purchase the home and restore it as a fun place their families could visit. That purpose soon changed to a labor of love to restore this important Church historic landmark. The local residents of Nineveh (formerly known as Colesville) assured them that this was the home of the Polly and Joseph Knight, Sr. family from 1815 to 1831. Further investigation confirmed this information to be true, and the three couples purchased the home with nine acres of land surrounding it and began the task of the restoration work.
As much as possible the families tried to restore rather than renovate. Over the years they brought in furnishings that would accurately reflect the time period when the Knight Family lived in the home. Items like rope beds were purchased in local antique shops.
The restoration work was a huge endeavor for the three families who were donating a great deal of time and money. The Knight Family Organization made donations to help cover some of the costs of restoring the Knight home. In 2010, the ownership of the home was transferred from the personal names of the Painters, Glenns and Mechams, to the Colesville Branch Restoration LLC, an Arizona Corporation. In 2012, they received 501( c ) (3) status (nonprofit). In September of 2016, the home was finished, and a dedication was held, and the home was opened for tours. Docents volunteer to stay in the home during the summer months to guide tours and help with the home maintenance. To read more about the history and restoration of the home, go to the website, http://www.colesville-restoration.org
Come learn how the Joseph Knight Sr family and Josiah Stowell contributed to the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Come walk in the footsteps of so many early church members such as Joseph Smith, Emma Smith, Sydney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery, the Knight family, and the Stowell family.
