GUILDERLAND — Homeowner Todd Slingerland and real estate agent Christy Center wanted to come up with an incentive to pique the interest of high-end buyers in 819 Greenthorne Blvd., which they had listed at $1.25 million, a very high price for Guilderland.

Just as John L. Schoolcraft's 19th-Century mansion is being restored, piece by piece, town historian Alice Begley has assembled the story of his life.

“The flames were probably 70 to 80 feet in the air,” said one of the first firefighters on the scene, “but, the house sort of sat in a valley, so it took a while for anyone to notice the fire.”