Jun-8, Wolf, 1229 Birdsey Rd. [Sen-8]

Documentation

Building date: 1830s

Original use:

Corner structures:

Mortar application and content: Vertical heavy. Lime mortared "V" joints

Types and uses of stones: rounded field multi-colored field cobbles

Types and choice of windows:

Structures with similar masonry details:

Masons who worked on building:

Unique features:

Map Location

Courtesy Google Maps. Address is GIS Database and Google Earth confirmed; 42°58'01.07"N 76°51'53.63"W. Current owner of record, Wolf as of 2019 Tax Roll.

NOTE

The Roudabush Survey incorrectly stated the street name as Birdsley.

Town of Junius and Seneca County Maps

Comments, Additional Information, References

1229 Birdseye Road Junius, NY, courtesy the Tom The Backroads Traveller blog.

This five-bay Greek Revival farmhouse at 1229 Birdsey Road, Junius, was destroyed by fire on the afternoon of January 10, 2018. It was on the National Register of Historic Places, August 6, 2008. It was typical of this area, made of rounded field multi-colored field cobbles with lime mortared "V" joints. The Victorian era porch was added later. The Greek Revival features of the entrance which is out of sight include square pilasters and half side-lights. It appeared to be nearly identical to the house at 1111 Stone Church Road. No one was injured. Founteen fire companies responded. Cause was undermined. Richard Palmer blog.

The cobblestone house at 1229 Birdsey Road in the town of Junius that burned January 10 may have been built by the same mason who also built the one at 1111 Stone Road, just a few miles away, as they both have very similar architectural features. Both have been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2007.

The Birdsey Road house had an attractive Victorian-era porch added many years later. They are both of the five-bay Greek Revival style of the 1835-45 period. The walls were built of stones gathered and sized from the surrounding fields as well as a sprinkling of water-polished stones from the shore of Lake Ontario near Sodus Point. The Birdsey Road house had twin chimneys, indicating fireplaces at each end.

At the time the Birdsey Road house was built the property appears to have been owned by John Serven. The 1874 atlas of Seneca county shows the owner as being "M. Story." The house was originally was on a 100-acre farm. In the 1960s it was owned by John Adler. The historical significance of the nearby sheep shearing barn was recognized by the state that awarded a grant for its preservation. The property is owned by Walter and Doris Wolf who fortunately escaped the fire. Excerpt from article "The Cobblestone House Era Flourished in Upstate New York", by Richard Palmer, Seneca Daily News 1/13/2018.

"Community Responds with Support for Fire Victims". Seneca Daily News, January 13, 2018 - online Newspaper. Richard Palmer email 5/8/2018.

"Wolfs plan open house to thank community after fire" Courtesy Finger Lakes Times, By David L. Shaw dshaw@fltimes.com Feb 18, 2019

Restoration by Paul Briggs detailed in YouTube video lecture, Early Cobblestone Construction, Cortland County Historical Society, Nov 23, 2018. Access 12 minute segment from time stamp 6:57 to 18.54.

Doris Wolf apparently ran out of money and has quit restoring the cobblestone house that burned. Some new inside framework was done. Now it's just being left to the elements. Richard Palmer email APR2019.

Cobblestone Buildings in Seneca County, photographs and text by Walter Gable, Seneca County Historian, revised 10/25/2019.

Walter and Doris Wolf House history sheet. From the personal research of cobblestone historian Karen Crandall.

National Register of Historic Places Registration This property is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Asset Detail National Register of Historic Places 8/6/2008. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form when available provides quite detailed information about the cobblestone structure. Editor's Note: Since the structure is not to be rebuilt and restored, it will likely be removed from the National Register of Historic Places; therefore, the Registration Form is also included in the Info Base at this link to avoid losing access to the detailed information. Cobblestone Farmhouse at 1229 Birdsey Road Wikipedia article. Editor's Note: Reference Registration Form, page Section 8 page 2, sentence "The 1874 Atlas indicates the owner as an "M. Story," about whom nothing is known." (page 6 of 24 in the Registration Form pdf), and Section Additional Documentation, page 1, "Atlas of Seneca County, 1874 map, (page 8 of 24 in the Registration Form pdf) which shows the M. Story residence circled. Goggle Maps shows the location of the structure to be further north at the D. Mills residence; therefore, the M. Story reference is in error. Handwritten notes of data copied from deed are on the reverse of the Permanent File of Cobblestone Structures document, signed and dated R. Frasch June 1964, stating the sequence of ownership of the property to be: David Cathart (called Lord Alloway) in 1822 sold 50 acres for $250 to Henry Mills in 1822 [who is assumed to have built the house]. Daniel Mills inherited the property 12/19/1860 and Henry Mills widow got the south half of the dwelling house. Later owner notes are not clear as to how ownership continued, so they are transcribed as written: Lynia A. Serven - to 17 March 1903 (outlived husband), Joanna M. Decker died 4/12/1911 and George Decker inherited. [Apparent gap in ownership.] Herbert John Schmidtgall and wife Anna sold 1947 to Johnathan Adler and wife Julia L. 11/18/1947. In 1964 Johnathan Adler owned the property. Carl Schmidt in his book "Cobblestone Masonry", 1966, confirms the name references, Schmidtgall - Adler House. See link below.

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"Cobblestone Masonry", 1966, Carl Schmidt: Name reference, Schmidtgall - Adler House

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Photographs

Scan+2912.jpg ¹ Circa 1960's	Jun-8 Wolf Sen-8 1.jpg ³ June 1964	GP Seneca Junius Jun-8 1-1 P.jpg ² 8/21/1971	GP Seneca Junius Jun-8 2-1 P.jpg ² 8/21/1971
Sen_8_1.jpg	Sen_8_2.jpg	Sen_8_3.jpg	Sen_8_4.jpg
Sen_8_5.jpg	Jun-8 Wolf Sen-8 3.jpg ³ Xerography copies, attribution not provided.	Jun-8 1229 Birdsey Rd 1.jpg 4	Jun-8 1229 Birdsey Rd 2.jpg 4
Jun-8 1229 Birdsey Rd 3.jpg 4	1229+Birdsey+Road+Junius.jpg 5	Sen_8_6.jpg 6 Fire 1/10/2018.	Birdsey road fire junius2.jpg 6 Fire 1/10/2018.
Cobblestone5.jpg 4 Aftermath of fire.	IMG_2504.jpg 4, 7 Status October 2019. $1 million estimated restoration cost.

¹ Image courtesy Richard Palmer. Attribution not provided.
² Photography courtesy Gerda Peterich. Cobblestone Museum.
³ Photography courtesy Robert W. Frasch.
⁴ Photography courtesy Martin and Sheila Wolfish.
⁵ Photography courtesy Richard Palmer.
⁶ Photograph courtesy Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department.
⁷ Photograph included in article "The Cobblestone House Era Flourished in Upstate New York, by Richard Palmer, Seneca Daily News 1/13/2018.