Legend has it that IHS Alumnus, Dr. Jennie Richardson, Class of 1878, is the friendly spirit who roams the halls of the Richardson/Shepherd Mansion on Main Street. Dr. Richardson was the daughter of Board of Education member, Thomas Richardson.

Bob and Ann Dreizler renovated the home and operated the home as Chesham Place - Bed & Breakfast in the 1980s and 1990s.

Other grand Ilion Homes can be seen in the "Souvenir of Ilion" - 1904 Book on the Ilion History area of the Herkimer/Montgomery Counties NYGenWeb site. Copies of the book were provided by Carolyn Deming Bayer, IHS Class of 1947, of Ilion, and Jane Russel Nile, IHS Class of 1950, from Aptos, CA., and were transcribed by Paul T. McLaughlin, IHS Class of 1941.