Honesdale Zenas Russell built this house in 1861. He was born in Madison County, New York in 1806 and came to the newly formed town as a merchant at the age of 22. Zenas Russell was a member of Honesdale's first town council and in 1830 a director of the newly formed Honesdale Bank. By 1863 he was president of the renamed Honesdale National Bank, organized the Honesdale Gas Company. and was a charter member of Grace Episcopal Church. Zenas Russell married Lucy Ann Forbes in 1830 and had three children. Sophie became the wife of Robert J. Menner, Annie married William Dimmick, and Henry Z.followed his father's footsteps to become president of the Honesdale National Bank and to own this house at 803 Church Street. The triple brick walled house has twelve foot ceilings on the main floor. a brick foundation, and unusually spacious rooms. A five room apartment joins the house on the Eighth Street side. In 1921, Robert Murray of Murray Company purchased the house from Henry Russell's widow, Jessie. After Robert Murray's death, his son Edward and wife Margaret Ham Murray raised their family there. "Highlights for Children" purchased the house in 1963 and completed alterations the following spring. Kent L. Brown Jr., grandson of the magazine's founders Dr. Garry C. Myers and his wife, Carolyn, edited and directed the magazine's editorial offices in this historic building.

This page was one month of the calendar and was made possible through the Wayne County Commissioners and a Tourism Promotion Committee’s Tourism Grant.