road . ▁ ▁The ▁rail road ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 1 , ▁and ▁passed ▁very ▁close ▁to ▁D ex ter ' s ▁Hur on ▁Street ▁house . ▁This ▁encourag ed ▁him ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁larger ▁country ▁m ansion ▁on ▁ ▁outside ▁of ▁D ex ter , ▁a ▁house ▁he ▁called ▁" G ordon ▁Hall " ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁his ▁mother , ▁Catherine ▁Gordon ▁D ex ter . ▁ ▁Gordon ▁Hall ▁history ▁ ▁D ex ter ▁chose ▁a ▁site ▁on ▁a ▁prominent ▁hill top ▁to ▁build ▁his ▁country ▁estate . ▁He ▁h ired ▁architect ▁Cal vin ▁T . ▁F ill more ▁( bro ther ▁of ▁Mill ard ▁F ill more ) ▁to ▁design ▁his ▁new ▁country ▁house . ▁ ▁F ill more ▁had ▁moved ▁to ▁Was ht en aw ▁County ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 7 , ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁successful ▁career ▁as ▁an ▁architect ▁and ▁builder . ▁ ▁D ex ter ▁himself ▁also ▁had ▁some ▁hand ▁in ▁the ▁design . ▁ ▁O verse eing ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁F ill more ' s ▁assistant ▁Syl v ester ▁New k irk , ▁who ▁later ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁successful ▁contract or , ▁and ▁also ▁to ▁marry ▁F ill more ' s ▁nie ce ▁Vi ola ▁Johnson . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁on ▁Gordon ▁Hall ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 1 , ▁and ▁wasn ' t ▁completed ▁until ▁ 1 8 4 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁substantial ▁construction ▁time ▁was ▁due ▁in ▁great ▁part ▁to ▁the ▁difficulty ▁in ▁obtain ing ▁l umber