Born in 1857 in Shrewsbury, Clara Denny Ward worked as a librarian in the New York Public Library system and in Shrewsbury. She preserved family manuscripts and took care of the Ward family house. Clara Denny Ward died in 1921 in Shrewsbury.
Artemas Ward took ownership of the saltbox house and moved in with his family. Prior to this point they had been living in a different house in the center of town.