. ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries , ▁John ▁F anton , ▁a ▁Dan bury ▁industrial ist ▁and ▁prominent ▁citiz en , ▁and ▁his ▁second ▁wife , ▁Laura ▁Scott , ▁tra ve led ▁extens ively ▁through ▁Europe , ▁Asia , ▁and ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁and ▁collected ▁artifact s ▁from ▁each ▁country ▁they ▁visited . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 1 , ▁after ▁their ▁death s , ▁a ▁museum ▁was ▁opened ▁in ▁the ▁F anton ▁home ▁on ▁De er ▁Hill ▁Avenue ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁exhib iting ▁these ▁collections . ▁ ▁Tw enty ▁years ▁later , ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁a ▁gas ▁station ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁R ider ▁home , ▁which ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 5 ▁and ▁by ▁that ▁time ▁had ▁fallen ▁into ▁dis rep air . ▁ ▁A ▁group ▁of ▁concerned ▁Dan bury ▁citizens , ▁which ▁included ▁the ▁local ▁chapter ▁of ▁the ▁D augh ters ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution , ▁raised ▁the ▁money ▁to ▁purchase ▁the ▁hom est ead ▁and ▁founded ▁the ▁Dan bury ▁Historical ▁Society ▁and ▁Arts ▁Center . ▁ ▁The ▁purpose ▁of ▁the ▁organization , ▁for ▁which ▁the ▁R ider ▁house ▁function ed ▁as ▁a ▁meeting ▁place , ▁was ▁to ▁fost er ▁appreci ation ▁in ▁art , ▁science , ▁history , ▁music , ▁and ▁other ▁public ▁activities . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁a ▁proposal ▁was ▁made ▁that ▁the ▁Scott ▁F anton ▁Museum ▁and