▁significant ▁as ▁the ▁dwell ing ▁of ▁Judge ▁Samuel ▁W . ▁D ex ter , ▁a ▁pione ering ▁Michigan ▁resident ▁and ▁land ▁baron ▁who ▁had ▁a ▁substantial ▁impact ▁on ▁early ▁development ▁of ▁Was ht en aw ▁County ▁and ▁other ▁sections ▁of ▁the ▁state . ▁ ▁The ▁house ▁was ▁later ▁owned ▁by ▁D ex ter ' s ▁grand d augh ter ▁K atherine ▁D ex ter ▁McC orm ick , ▁a ▁pione ering ▁research ▁scient ist , ▁suff rag ist , ▁and ▁phil anth rop ist . ▁ ▁In ▁its ▁early ▁days , ▁Gordon ▁Hall ▁hosted ▁at ▁least ▁two , ▁and ▁possibly ▁three ▁United ▁States ▁pres idents , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁almost ▁certainly ▁a ▁stop ▁along ▁the ▁Under ground ▁Rail road . ▁ ▁Samuel ▁William ▁D ex ter ▁ ▁Samuel ▁W . ▁D ex ter ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Boston ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 2 ▁to ▁Samuel ▁D ex ter , ▁a ▁politician ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁Congress man , ▁Senator , ▁and ▁both ▁Secretary ▁of ▁War ▁and ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Tre as ury ▁under ▁President ▁John ▁Adams ; ▁and ▁Catherine ▁Gordon , ▁daughter ▁of ▁William ▁and ▁Tem per ance ▁Gordon ▁of ▁Boston . ▁ ▁The ▁younger ▁D ex ter ▁attended ▁Harvard ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 2 , ▁and ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁law ▁degree ▁three ▁years ▁later . ▁He ▁moved ▁to ▁Ath ens , ▁New ▁York , ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 6 ▁and ▁married ▁Am elia ▁August a ▁Pre v ost . ▁ ▁The ▁couple ▁had ▁two ▁children