The Joseph Penrose House appears to have been built circa 1832, possibly by Joseph Penrose, and served as a station on the Underground Railroad, offering assistance to runaway slaves during their flight to freedom. According to local legend, a runaway slave died of natural causes while hiding there and was secretly buried in the middle of the night in the Friends (Quaker) Cemetery on Factory Street. Cemetery documents carefully record details about the occupant of each grave, including dates of birth, death, and burial, yet one grave is simply marked "unknown," giving credence to the old legend.