26. Marthaville
Right next door, you will see a grand old building called Marthaville. Marthaville was built for Martha Jones, who was the wife of George Brown, an early settler to Cessnock proper and is the oldest sawn timber home in Cessnock. Besides being a builder, Mr Brown was a saw miller, civil magistrate, district coroner and shire councellor, he became a sucessful coal prospector and is credited with beginning the boom years of Cessnock with his discovery of coal.
Mr Brown passed away after being struck by a car in front of his homestead in May 1928 at the age of 75. Marthaville now stands as a cultural centre and is open from Friday to Sunday with a wealth of history information inside.