Among the new proprietors of large tracts of land in Northern New York that had been part of the Macomb Purchase (1791), Richard Harison purchased great lots 6 and 9 in what would become Franklin County. These land owners initially named their sections after themselves, but "Harison" eventually became the Town of Malone. In 1808, Harison changed the name of the village he had founded to "Ezraville," after his friend Ezra L'Hommedieu. In 1812, Harison again changed the name of his village, to "Malone," after Edmond Malone, an Irish Shakespearean scholar. The Harison House is located on Webster Street in Malone, across from the cemetery, and is designated with a New York State historical marker.