Adventures Around Putnam

Southeast, NY

These homes/sites are on the Town fo Southeast’s list of Historic Sites, or are possible candidates for inclusion.   Since at any given time most of the sites are privately owned, please be respectful of the property owners.

AP BRUSH/DF BAILEY HOUSE:  On Dingle Ridge Road, HSC describes it, “Known also at the Ratchford House, the building is a Greek Revival with deep frieze and large return eaves.  It stands at what was once the New York Post Road, and important throughfare between New York City and Vermont.  Dr. Matthew & May Ratchford were active citizens in the town of Southeast and supporters of many local charities.”

BUDD’S TAVERN:  On the northeast corner of Route 22 and Milltown Rd., as of 2012 it is the Brewster Elks Club.  Greek Revival style.

 

 

 

 

 

DAVID DEFOREST HOUSE: On Sherwood Hill Rd.  Georgian Colonial.   David DeForest was the builder of the Southeast Church, and was an early settler of Southeast.   Revolutionary War Veteran, buried in Milltown Cemetery.

DREWSCLIFT:  Deans Corners Rd.

DREWSCLIFT CEMETERY:  Off of Deans Corners Rd.  Cemetery is owned by the town.  Revolutionry War Veterans buried here.  Robber Baron Daniel Drew also buried here.  See related page on Drewsclift.

EDITH DIEHL HOUSE:  On the west side of Route 22, opposite the town offices, a little south of the Milltown Rd. intersection.  In 1832 the home was built around an 18th century building that was built by a member of the Howes family.  Edith Diehl was born in Brewster in 1876, was known for her book-binding skills, helped establish the Brewster Library in 1896, and during WWI worked with the Red Cross and Women’s Land Army.  She published “Bookbinding:  Its Background & Technique”.  She died in 1953.

EGBERT HOWES HOUSE:  On Turk Hill Road.  Turdoresque style.  Egbert was the nephew of Seth B. Howes (see Morningthorpe and Stonehenge).  Egbert also worked in the circus.

ENOCH CROSBY HOMESTEAD:  On Enoch Crosby Rd.  It is believed James Fenimore Cooper’s novel “The Spy’ is based on Enoch Crosby’s adventures during the Revolutionary War.  Enoch also served as Supervisor for the town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FANNY CROSBY HOUSE:  Foggintown Rd., just to the west of Bog Brook Unique Area parking/entrance.  Built in 1757.  Crosby family became owners sometime before 1820.  Birthplace of Fanny Crosby, a famous blind hymn writer who wrote over 8,000 hymns (including “Blessed Assurance”), who was born on March 24th, 1820.   During illness as an infant, a doctor’s application fo ‘hot plasters’ to her eyes cause her blindness.  Her life is exemplary for her perseverence, faith and accomplishments.  During her lifetime she memorized the Bible, built a friendship with later-to-be-President Grover Cleveland, and addressed both houses of Congress in support of causes for the blind.  She died in 1915.  A historical site plaque can be found on the stone wall along the road in front of the house.  Foggintown Rd was previously known as Gayville Rd.   Fanny’s parents, John and Mercy Crosby, came to this area from Cape Cod.  Mercy’s father was a cousin of Enoch Crosby (see above).

FOGGINTOWN ROAD HISTORIC DISTRICT:

FOWLER HOUSE:  On Root Ave.  Colonial style.  George Washington stayed here.  See the related page with more info by clicking Fowler House Historical Marker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

H. DEAN HOUSE: On Deans Corners Road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOWES HOUSE:  Victorian architecture on Drewville Road.

ISAAC FIELD HOUSE:  On Fields Lane.

J. BRUSH HOME:  On Turk Hill Road.

J. MINOR HOUSE:  On Rt 312, opposite the intersection with Minor Rd.  Greek Revival style.  Rev. J. Minor, one of the pastors of the Old Southeast Church, lived here.  Other owners include Daniel Reed, Reuben D Barnum and James Crosby.

 

 

 

 

 

LILY FOREPAUGH HOUSE:  On Lodar Lane.  British Equestrienne Lily Deacon lived here.

MILLTOWN ROAD HISTORIC DISTRICT:

MORNINGTHORPE:  Simply awesome castle at 100 Turk Hill Rd., near the corner of Turk Hill Rd. and Allview Ave.  Built by Seth B. Howes (1815-1901) who was a famous circus businessman.  Constructed between 1860 and 1894.  The Tudor portion was built first, with the granite ‘fortifications’ added later.  The name Morningthorpe comes from the Howes’ family estate in Norwich, England.  Now the home of the Delancey Street Foundation (www.delanceystreetfoundation.org), a residential self-help organization.  When the foundation purchased the run-down property in 1980, they found the original plans in a chest in a closet of the home, and did an amazing job restoring the building.  As of 2012, the original plans hang in frames on the hallway walls of the castle.  On state historic register.  Check out the lights during the holiday season.

OLD SOUTHEAST CHURCH:  On Route 22.

OLD THOMASVILLE CORNERS HOUSE:  Turk Hill Road.

OLD TOWN HALL:  Technically in the village of Brewster at 67 Main Street, it is owned by the Town of Southeast so merits inclusion on the town’s historic site list.  Buit in 1896.  Was the town hall until 1965.  Listed on the the National Register of Historic Places.  Architects were Child and de Goll of NYC.  The Southeast Museum is house in the basement, but in the past occupied the middle floor.  The upper floor houses a theater.

ONE MAIN STREET:  Technically in the village of Brewster, it is owned by the Town of Southeast.  Was orignally the First National Bank.  (It was also listed in Ripley’s Believe It or Not as the only bank in the middle of a street.)  Became the town hall in 1965.

REED-BLOOMER HOUSE:  Corner of Putnam Ave. and Route 6. This building was added as a historic site because it is “a work of architectual or engineering significance, or a significant example of an important building style or period.”  The Historic Sites Commission described it as a, “Greek Revival sahllow-hipped roof home with wrap-around porch and paired brick chimneys.” It is on the corner of Route 6 and Putnam Ave.  The property was at one time a dairy farm.

 

RED ROOSTER:  Located at 1566 Route 22 in Southeast.  Tax map # 46.-2-43.  Red Rooster is a local favorite for ice cream, burgers, and letting the kids play out back.  A miniature golf course is at the opposite end of the parking lot.  The Historic Sites Commission added it to the Historic Sites list because it is “A significant example of an important building style or period.”  They describe it as “1950s roadside architectural.  Its design, including building form, color, lighting and signs, is iconic of that era and of American roadside architectural in general.”  While three, stop by the Sherwood-Minor Burying Ground over the stone wall at the back corner of the parking lot.   Visit the page on Sherwood-Minor here.

 

 

RUNDLE HOUSE:  Victorian style house on Starr Lea Road.  Soldiers fromt the Rundle family acquired the property after the Revolution, as payment for their service.  Ezra Rundle recieved 160 acres, and his sons Ezra and John also received 160 acres, for a total of 480 acres.   The corner of Starr Lea Rd and Starr Ridge Road used to be known as “Rundles Corners”.   The house was constructed around 1865 by Nathan and Emory Rundle.

SHERWOOD HOUSE:  On the north side of Sherwood Hill Rd., 2.5 miles north of the intersection of Milltown Rd. and Federal Hill.  Near corner of Milltown.  Built in 1803 by the Sherwoods.  Matilda Quigley bought it in the 1890’s, and sold it to the Rahisons in 1923.  Traditional Colonial.  In the 1987 Houses of the Oblong tour brochure, the house is described as, “a fine example of early 19th century domestic architecture with intricate moldings and detailing.  It is mostly unaltered, with the exception of the re-modeled kitchen (which occupies the old east porch) into which old beams from a North Salem barnm have been incorporated.  The attic houses a built-on loom….”  The HSC’s descriiption includes, “William Quigley served as Naval Attache to Peru, Chief of Staff of the Peruvian Navy, as Commander during the North African Landings in 1941 and at Guadacanal.”  There is a nearby historical marker because Colonel Ludington’s Army passed this way on the march to fight the British when they burned Danbury during the Revolution.

STARR RIDGE ROAD HISTORIC DISTRICT:

STONEHENGE – HOWES RESIDENCE:  Brewster Hill Road.  Circus legend Seth B. Howes, who is buried in Milltown Cemetery, lived here before he built Morningthorpe (see above).  HSC describes it as an ‘Ecletic mix of Queen Anne Style, Tudoresque and Romanesque styles.”  It is believed that Seth Howes left this home because he feared them dam and reservoir built behind his house would burst, threatening his family.

TILLY FOSTER MINE:  Off of Old Mine Road.  Mined from 1853 until shortly after 1895, this mine is world famous for a number of reasons – the devastating collapse in 1895, the rocks and mineral samples found at the site, and the fact that at one point in time it was the largest man-made hole in the world.

T.KELLEY RESIDENCE:  On Simpson Rd.  Colonial style.  T. Kelly was a town supervisor, and worked for the Aqueduct Commission.  The interior features a beehive oven.

TRIANGLE HOUSE:  On the island within the intersection of Brewster Hill Rd. and Tonetta Lake Rd.  West end built first.  The first town meeting was held here in 1795 when it was owned by Zalmon Sanford.  Early Satlbox, western section built sometime before 1760.  The 1986 Cottages to Castles tour brochure indicates a Mr. Ames as the builder, and that the building was used at one point as a chapel for traveling Methodist preachers.

WARING HOMESTEAD:  Minor Road.

YALE HOUSE:  Corner of Brewster Hill Rd and Sodom Rd.  Greek Revival farmhouse, square columns, small windows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

– Cottages to Castles.  Pamphlete from Southeast Museum House Tour, November 1, 1986. 

-Houses of the Oblong. Pamphlete from Southeast Museeum House Tour, October 17th, 1987.

– The Rundle House:  The Starr Lea Victorian – A Brief History.  Publisher and date unknown.  Southeast Historian’s files, accessed September 2012.

– The Town of Southeast 1788-1988.  1990.  Published by the Town of Southeast Bicentennial Commission.  Suzanne F. Truran, editor.

– www.delanceystreetfoundation.org.  Accessed 09/14/2012

-Town of Southeast Historic Sites Commission, various publications.