There are nine cobblestone farmhouses that currently still exist in Yates County. These were built between 1831 and 1850. They are in the towns of Benton, Middlesex, Starkey and Torrey, and one in the village of Penn Yan. At one time, each house was the center of a working farm. The surrounding farmlands, were largely sold off or leased to other nearby farm operations.
Efforts of the Yates County Genealogical and Historical Society, working with the New York State Office of Historic Preservation, have resulted in many cobblestone-house properties being placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of these structures have been cosmetically changed or altered over the years and do not necessarily appear as originally built.
Such things as dormers and porches are primarily later 19th and early 20th century additions. Fortunately in this county, most of the houses look the same as when they were built. Students of cobblestone houses had great the design, such as the number of rows and types of stones used in construction of the exterior.
Archeologists say the use of cobblestones as a building material dates to the third century when the Romans used them to construct coastal fortifications. Waterborne flint cobblestones were found in abundance in the English countryside. Natural lime mortars (see endnotes) were perfected, stones laid in defined courses as was common in later periods.
During the 11th century the Normans and Saxons built walls of flint cobbles, or "flint heads", in rough courses. During the Middle Ages came cobblestone streets, houses and outbuildings. Some examples of this stone vernacular construction still exist in England. Centuries later American craftsmen, using the European precedent, refined and improved cobblestone building techniques that incorporated coursed, un-coursed, dual courses and herring-bone stone patterns.
Cobblestone houses and other structures have long been a source of curiosity in central and western New York for decades.
There are more than 700 cobblestone structures throughout New York State, found in the region extending from Albany to Niagara counties. Cobblestone architecture is unique among the varied architectural styles to be found in this region. Records preserved by the Cobblestone Society, of Childs, New York, indicate that 90 percent of all cobblestone buildings are found within a 100-mile radius of Rochester. The late Carl Schmidt of Scottsville was the foremost authority on cobblestone construction, authoring many books and articles dating back to the 1930s.
In his most definitive book, Cobblestone Masonry, Schmidt noted that because of innovative methods used by masons in this region, there developed a cobblestone masonry technique that distinguishes it from "all previous small-stone masonry." This includes European methods, as well as those used locally."
A frequent question asked by the initiated is, "Why are these old buildings confined to this region, who built them, how and when?" Generally, the golden years of the cobblestone era date from about 1825, when the Erie Canal was opened, into the 1860s. There are, however, examples from a later period scattered here and there including in Illinois, Michigan, Vermont, Wisconsin and Paris, Ontario, Canada. It is not known where or when the first cobblestone houses were built. The earliest dated stone house found in this region goes back to 1832. The wide-spread theory that the masons who built cobblestone houses originally came here to work on the Erie Canal is apocryphal. There is no plausible connection.
But why cobblestones used in building construction? First, because they were plentiful. They had been rolled, rounded and left by the glacier that had passed over the region. As settlers came and cleared land for homes and fields, the glacier-tumbled stones had to be reckoned with. In addition to using them to build miles of dry stone-wall fences, some were incorporated into building foundations and they gradually came into use in above-ground construction.
The rough field stones were used primarily as structural support while the finer stones were meant to be decorative and usually were only on the front. The finer matching stones generally came from the shoreline of Lake Ontario where nearly 100 miles of washed stones of every form had collected for eons.
Tradition relates that polished cobblestones from the lake shore was done by the children of the homeowner. Those who chose to build houses from more local sources such as gravel pits held "bees" where neighbors came and helped sort the stones according to size, shape and color. This was done by dropping the stones through a board with holes in it or an iron ring called a beetle ring. Finding exactly matching stones today from the Lake Ontario shoreline would be a nearly impossible task as most of them appear to have been gathered up. But still a puzzle is where along the lake were stones of the exact size and shape of hen's eggs were actually found.
Each mason developed an individual style and technique, preparing his own mortar. The real secret of a good cobblestone wall depended on the high quality of mortar used. Whether fact or fancy, it has been said that often if a visitor came around, a mason would turn to other occupations so his special skills would not be observed. The average mason was paid between $1 and $1.25 per day, plus board, for a 10-to-12-hour day. The work was tedious and exacting, and became more so as cobblestone structures became more elaborate.
Mortar was the key to a fine building. Each mason had his own formula for this mixture of limestone, sand and water. Some masons dug a six-foot hole where the house was to be built. The pit would be filled with manure. The mortar was ready when a trowel, inserted into this mixture, came out clean. Some masons mixed an equal portion of sand with the limestone. Others used a bushel of fresh limestone to eight or nine bushels of sand. No matter what the mixture was, the clean trowel indicated the mortar was ready for use.
Architecture of the house was the choice of the farmer-owner. There were numerous architectural books of the day to choose from. Frequently, an architect was employed to design the house. It is said that masons often built two or three houses at a time, putting down a course of stone. While this was setting up they would work on another house.
The topic of cobblestone houses can become very absorbing. Driving around the countryside where they are prevalent one notices the varied styles and architectural features that can develop into an passionate pastime. There are more than 700 cobblestone structures in upstate New York, chiefly in 25 counties adjacent or near Lake Ontario. Past and current owners generally have always taken great pride in their vintage cobblestone homes.
The best reference sources about cobblestone houses include the works of Carl Schmidt; Cobblestone Quest: Road Tours of New York's Historic Buildings by Rich Freeman; and Cobblestone Landmarks of New York State by Gerda Peterich. They can also be found at public libraries. These are out of print but are available through rare book dealers as well as on the Internet. Also, they are on the shelves at many libraries in upstate New York. The Cobblestone Society maintains a museum and resource center on Route 104 in Childs, N.Y.
Figure 1. The stately cobblestone Jephthah Earl mansion at 100 Old State Road in the town of Benton commands a panoramic view of Seneca Lake. It was built in 1844 of washed cobblestones hauled 45 miles from near Sodus Point on a stone boat. It appears a porch once adorned the main portion of the house, but this was gone by 1876. A bracketed wood cornice crowns the stone walls which themselves are constructed of small red water-rounded sandstones. Additions have been made over the years. Mr. Earl was born in 1806. His father of the same name came here from Wilkes Barre, Pa., about 1789 and purchased 200 acres from Charles Williamson. He first resided in a log house. George Earl was the last of the family to occupy the house. The Earls had a distillery, were involved in the grain trade and had extensive warehouse facilities at the nearby landing. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Figure 2. The Earl farm and Earl's landing (also known as Kashong Landing) as they appeared in the Combination Atlas Map of Yates County, published in 1876.
Figure 3. The Daniel Supplee farmhouse is located at 4420 Lakemont-Himrod Road in the thrown of Starkey. The farmhouse was built about 1843 and remodeled prior to 1876. It began as a vernacular, "L"-shaped structure. It is of the late Federal or early Greek Revival style architecture and built of a variety of colored and irregularly shaped field cobbles. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. He and his wife, Mary, originally lived in a log house on the site. The house was built from stones picked up on the shores of Lake Ontario and hauled to the site. A pipeline was laid to carry water from a nearby spring to the house and barns. Daniel Supplee was born in Himrod in 1814 and died Oct. 24, 1888. Mrs. Supplee died May 1, 1909. She was the daughter of Silas and Mabra Spink, early settlers in the town of Milo. The family was involved in the dry goods business and public life in the village of Dundee for many years.
Figure 4. The Supplee Farm as it appeared in the Combination Atlas Map of Yates County, published in 1876.
Figure 5. The five-bay, 10-room Leach House at 2601 Route 14, town of Torrey, was built in 1836. It is on a 100-acre farm. The entire second floor was originally aa ballroom built for the owner's seven daughters in which to entertain their beaus. Three side walls are rough field cobblestones laid in herringbone pattern. Stones came from the Lakemont area and as well as from Lake Ontario. George R. Young was the mason. The house has in the Leach family for at least six generations. It is on the National Register of Historic places.
Figure 6. The Olney-Ryal House at 1250 Route 14, town of Torrey, is said to have been built in 1835. The owner in 1855 was J.B. Olney Daniel Ryal is shown as the later owner. It features unusual triangular windows that solved the problem of limited space caused by the sloping roof. Also unusual is the large ground floor wing on the north side. Daniel B. Ryal was born in Tioga County, Pa., August 25, 1815, son of Hugh and Nancy Ryal. He came to this area in the late 1830s and married Caroline, daughter of Otis Barden, on April 29, 1838. They had two sons. One died in infancy. She died on June 21, 1840 shortly after the birth of a second son, Otis Barden Ryal, on June 15, 1840. He died at Yorktown, Va., November 30, 1863 while serving with Company I, 148th Regiment, New York Volunteers.
In 1841 Daniel married Susan W. Rugg and they had a son and four daughters. He died March 15, 1889 and was buried in Hopeton Corners Cemetery in Dresden.
Daniel and Susan joined the Methodist Church at Milo Center in 1843. For 32 years religious meetings were held at their home. He was a farmer. In 1875 he was was one of four trustees of Torrey School District 5. An item published in the Penn Yan Express on November 5, 1884 states: "It is said that Daniel Ryal, of Torrey, has paper on the wall of his house which has been there for fifty years, and is as bright as when it was new. It cost $1.25 per single roll."
One of his daughters, Mattie, who married Jerome B. House, recalled as a child watching boats sail from Seneca Lake at Dresden through the many locks of the six-mile Crooked Lake Canal which raised them to the level of Keuka Lake at Penn-Yan. This canal was opened in 1833 and had 28 locks. It was abandoned in 1877 and replaced by the so-called "Corkscrew Railroad." This later became the Penn Yan branch of the New York Central Railroad. Mattie and a party of friends rode the first train. She was educated in country schools and was granted a teacher's certificate when she was only 16.
Figure 7. Large cobblestone extension on the north side of the main house.
Figure 8. The Bates House is located at 6521 Route 364 Town Line Road in the town of Middlesex. It is a one and one-half story structure built as a tenant house in 1836. It is an intact example of a cobblestone farm house of that period. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Figure 9. This 11-room farm house at 612 Route 14, town of Benton, was built between 1831 and 1834 by Charles Angus, a prosperous farmer and entrepreneur. The front part of the house was built in 1846. It remained in the Angus family for five generations. It is constructed of variously shaped colored field cobbles laid four rows to a quoin in a rough herringbone pattern. The house and barn complex are on the National Register of Historic Places. The front of the house facing east is dominated by a very rare and unique Regency style porch. The front doorway is recessed. It has paneled pieces supporting a plain lintel over which there is a small pediment with tendril ornaments in lead. The capitals have deep undercutting. Stonework for the quoins cornices and window ledges came from a quarry in from Waterloo.
Walter Angus came from Scotland to America in 1798, moving here in 1800. According to family tradition, only one other family lived along what is now Route 14 between Geneva and Dresden when he settled here. Tradition has it that the cobblestones were gathered from the surrounding fields and the mortar was made from limestone gathered on the farm and burned in a kiln on the hill in back of the house.
The lumber also came from the farm. Seven wagon loads of stones were hauled from the Lake Ontario shoreline. Of typical of cobblestone construction, the walls of this house are 18 to 20 inches thick. The stone for the quoins and lintels came from a quarry near Waterloo. The rear was built first. The Angus family established a coal yard nearby when the Fall Brook Railroad railroad was built in 1876, and established a station here called "Angus."
Photograph courtesy Martin and Sheila Wolfish.
Figure 10. Detailed view of porch.
Figure 11. Detailed view of stone work on one corner of the house.
Figure 12. The Nichols house at 1980 Alexander Road, Town of Benton. This Greek Revival house was built by mason Purton Grow (sometimes listed as "Elmer") between 1838 and 1844 for William Nichols, a local farmer. Grow reportedly had worked on the Erie Canal and then turned to house building. The cobbles were hauled from Lake Ontario by ox team. It took three years to collect enough stones. Small red sandstones dominate the front facade. This is a one and a half story Greek Revival structure built of red sandstone lake washed cobbles. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Figure 13. The Greek Revival-style house at 2492 Ferguson Corners Road in the town of Benton was built for George and Dolly Barden. The farm originally consisted of about 210 acres. The house includes a detached cobblestone wing connected by a breezeway. George Barden was born in 1788 in Attleboro, Mass., and came here with his father, Thomas in 1799. In 1809 he married Dolly Witter, daughter of Elijah Witter. The Barden family was very large. Their adjoining farms in the towns of Benton and Seneca extended along three miles of roads. The well-attended Barden-Witter family reunion was held here for many years, starting in 1883.
Figure 14. The house of Roderick N. Morrison has long been a landmark in Penn Yan. Located at 105 Highland Drive, in the Village of Penn Yan, it overlooks the Penn Yan Academy school complex. It was built in 1825 for Morrison who was an early Penn Yan attorney with a Southern gentleman's flare. The landscape around his home included orchards, open fields, timber, and a white picket fence. This all tended to isolate the house from other structures nearby. Abraham Wagener, one of the "founding fathers" of the village of Penn Yan bought it 1843 and resided there until his death in 1853. It was then inherited by his son, George. The house retains a high degree of architectural integrity and has changed little since it was built. Some architectural historians say it resembles similar structures found in southern states as well as in the Hudson Valley. Field stones of greatly varying size from 2 to 10 inches in diameter, are laid in random pattern. This was before the more traditional cobblestone design evolved. Some stones are split to present a smooth face to the weather. Cobblestones are incorporated randomly throughout the façade. The home's corners and openings are framed in brick. Woodwork was originally painted white. It is on the National register of Historic Places.
Figure 15. Scattered throughout the countryside are numerous smoke houses where meat and fish were cured. This one is at 1050 Italy Valley Road near Naples. They were the only means of preservation before the advent of refrigeration. A smoke house is a small enclosed out building, often with a vent, and a single entrance with no windows. Smoking meat was a European tradition carried over into this country. The meat, such as pork, was heavily salted and then smoked over a slow burning wood fire. The upper areas of smokehouses are blackened with smoke. A meat house has a solid wood floor, a smokehouse will have a brick pit in the center of the dirt floor, or sometimes a broken/cast-off cast iron pot, for the fire. Photo by John Hilton.
Figure 16. (Colorized picture) Potter Rural School District No. 5 was located on West Swamp Road in the town of Potter and was built in 1838. Very few round school houses are known to exist. It replaced an earlier school on the site housed in a log cabin. It was 30 feet in diameter and 11 feet high. Seats were circular. It was heavily damaged beyond repair in a fire on January 20, 1920. After being deemed impractical to restore, it was replaced by a wooden structure that was later moved to Castle Street in Rushville after Middlesex Valley Central School was formed. The property reverted to the Underwood family.
(Second picture of school house) Figure 17. Teacher Miss Gertrude Wheeler is shown with her 10 students at Potter Rural School. Two other known circular cobblestone school houses were located in the town of Phelps, Ontario County. They are also gone.
Figure 18. Several generations of the Spence family lived in this massive 21-room cobblestone house at 306 Lakemont-Himrod Road in the town of Starkey. It has a panoramic view of Seneca Lake. It was built in 1848 by a mason named Lemoreaux at a cost of $30,000, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Veneer cobblestones came from near Sodus Point on Lake Ontario. The owner was Dr. Henry Spence, settled here in 1818. Later is was occupied by his son, Dr. Byron Spence, followed by his son and grandson, Robert Spence Sr. and Robert Spence Jr., and their families. In the 1930s and 1940s it was a noted turkey farm. Currently it is a retreat called "Cobblestone Springs - A Center for Renewal in Creation."
Figure 19. View of the 19th century parlor.
Figure 20. View of the fine staircase.
Sources
Nomination data sheets for houses to be placed on National Register of Historic Places, archives of the Yates County Genealogical and Historical Society, Penn Yan, NY
Freeman, Rich and Sue Cobblestone Quest - Road Tours of New York's Historic Buildings. Footprint Press Inc., 2005
Schmidt, Carl Cobblestone Masonry 1966
Shelgren, Olaf William, et al, Cobblestone Landmarks of New York State, Syracuse University Press, 1978.
Cobblestone Society, Eighth Annual Cobblestone Tour, June 15, 1968.
Everts, Ensign and Everts, New Historical Atlas of Yates County, 1876.
Historic archives and archival newspaper collection of Yates County Genealogical and Historical Society, (dba Yates County History Center), 107 Chapel Street, Penn Yan, New York 14527.
Gateways to Cobblestone Houses of Yates County, the Crooked Lake Yorkers, Penn Yan Academy, Tillman Press, Penn Yan, New York 1967.
