Building date: 1837
Original use: Gray limestone quoins
Corner structures:
Mortar application and content: Vertical heavy
Types and uses of stones: Field cobbles
Types and choice of windows: Lintels gray limestone
Structures with similar masonry details: Same mason as Ale-2 Community Center, Bet-1 Lloyd
Masons who worked on building:
Unique features:
Courtesy Google Maps. Address is Google Earth confirmed; 42°55'48.60"N 78°14'30.29"W. Current owner of record, Brown as of date (YMD) 190318.
Town of Alexander and Genesee County Maps
This place, called the Hastings-Brown house, is on Route 98, two miles north of the village of Alexander, was built about 1837 for Moses Page. The original owner is not known, but Moses Page who came to Alexander in 1810 lived there prior to 1854. His son, Albert, owned it in 1866. Sherman B. Hammond lived there in 1870 and by 1904 J.X. Hastings was living there and called it "Valley View." [Currently Valley View Farms] C.H. Brown was living there in 1917. In the 1970s it was the residence of Norman Brown. The house is made of field cobbles and corner quoins and window lintels are gray limestone. It is a "Century Farm" of the New York State Agricultural Society, having been in the Brown family continuously since 1877. The Century Farm plaque is proudly displayed on the front lawn. Richard Palmer blog.
Hastings-Brown House
This stone house is on Route 98, 2 miles north of the Village of Alexander. The house was shown on the 14th Annual Cobblestone Tour in 1974. It is a two story house with a center entrance flanked by two windows on each. The entrance is now under a fairly new porch. The Doric columns of which may have once been on the original entrance. It still maintains its original 8-panel door. Cobbles are field cobbles. Above the windows in the gables on the north and south walls are inverted 'T' shaped limestone ornaments.
The center stair hall retains the original staircase with simple stair rail rising up from a handsome scroll termination. There is elaborate woodwork with paneled reveals at the windows and wood panels below.
The field stones are different colors from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches in height and from 2 1/2 to 8 inches in length, laid 3 courses per quoin height. Horizontal and vertical joints are 'V'd'. The masonry on the side walls is similar with larger stones. Corner quoins are roughly cut gray limestones. Windows lintels and sills are also gray lime stone. It is said that the house was built about 1837. The original owner is not known, but Moses Page who came to Alexander in 1810 lived there sometime before 1854. His son Albert was the owner in 1866. Sherman B. Hammond was on the farm in 1870, and by 1904 J. C. Hastings was living on the property which he called Valley View. C. H. Brown was on the property in 1917 and the present owner (1976) is Norman Brown. Courtesy Cobblestone Museum.
"Cobblestone Examples Noted in Genesee Recall Construction Over Century Ago
The Cobblestone Society & Museum Tours:
Hastings - Brown House 14th Annual 06/01/1974
- "Cobblestone Masonry", 1966, Carl Schmidt: Name reference, Hastings - Brown House
- Page 24
¹ Image courtesy Gerda Peterich.
² Image courtesy Cobblestone Museum.
³ Photography courtesy Martin and Sheila Wolfish.
4 Photography courtesy Larry Warren. Richard Palmer blog.
