On the east side of the river, on Vale Perkins Road, you will see the Manson House, a large green Victorian residence overlooking the village. The many decorative elements enhance the look of an Italian villa. With its four-sided roof, the hipped dormers, its finely decorated porch topped by an elegant balcony, the house exudes a charm that makes it, without a doubt, the most prestigious residence in the village.
The house was built in 1880 by the prosperous merchant David A. Manson, descendant of the founding family of Mansonville. At the time, Manson was one of the most influential men in Potton. A prominent mason, he was Mayor of the township, member of Parliament for Brome County, secretary-treasurer of the municipality, postmaster and member of many boards of directors, including that of the Missisquoi and Black River Railway.
From his balcony, David A. Manson could easily observe, near the falls in front of you, the workers swarming around the mills, the main economic activity of Mansonville at the turn of the century. Attracted by the economic potential of the falls, the pioneers of the village installed the first sawmill in 1803.
In 1864, there were two dams and five mills used for weaving wool, grinding grain and tanning leather. Two sawmills were also in operation, the Atwell Mill and that of the Boright brothers, Nelson and Sheldon, two influential figures in the township. The Boright owned the adjacent land where they built, around 1860, a superb barn that still stands today. You can easily see it on the east side of the river. Note the cupola crowning the roof. This structure, characteristic of the time, provided light and ventilation to the very top floor of the structure.
On November 3rd and 4th, 1927, powerful storms hit Potton, bringing torrential rains to the township and causing all the rivers in the area to overflow in a few hours. In Mansonville, the torrent of the North Missisquoi River swept away mills, the bridge and all the dams, including the one that powered a small power plant built by Charles Brouillette in 1903. On a township scale, the damage was catastrophic: many houses and roads were destroyed, bridges and railroads were torn up, and land was flooded.
The remnants of the mills swept away by the river during this tragic flood that marked the history of Potton Township may still be seen today at the foot of Mill Street.