With milling, dyking and general farming, there was work at Prospect to keep all the members of the family busy, besides a large force of hired help.
It was decided this year (1797) to build a new house and barn, and the site fixed upon was about one hundred yards south of the Scurr house, where they had lived since the place came into their possession.The barn was put up the next year, and measured eighty feet long by thirty-three wide, with thirteen foot posts.A part of this barn is still used for a stable.In 1799 the house was built, the main portion being made of brick burned on the marsh near by.It fronted due south, and was twenty-seven feet by thirty-seven feet, and two stories high, with a stone kitchen on the west side.The cost of building was eight hundred pounds.This was before the days of stoves, there being six fire-places in the main house and large one in the kitchen.
In 1839 the stone kitchen was pulled down and one of wood built on the north side.In 1879 an addition was made, and now (October 2nd, 1900), it is as comfortable a dwelling as it has ever been.Five generations have lived in it.Three generations have been born and grown to manhood and womanhood within its four walls, and they have never known the death of a child, nor, with but one exception, the death of a young person.
On the 29th January, 1800, Mrs.Trueman, sen., died in the eighty-eighth year of her age.Although sixty-two years old when she came to America, she lived to see the birth of nine grandchildren.
In 1801, Thompson, the youngest son, was born.The family now numbered seven sons and three daughters.This year William Black, known in Methodist history as Bishop Black, was one of the family at Prospect from November 17th, 1801, to April 13th, 1802.One week of this time was spent in Dorchester, for which a rebate was made in the board bill.
The bill was made out at the rate of five shillings per week.
In 1802, Mr.Trueman began to keep what he calls "a memorandum of events." The records chiefly refer to home work, the weather and neighborhood happenings.As a record of the weather, before thermometers and barometers were in general use, it must be as perfect as possible.As a record of farm work it is quite minute, and gives the reader an almost exact knowledge of what was done on the farm each week of the twenty years.