Mex-1, Hamilton House, 164 Hamilton St., Mexico

Documentation

Building date: 1846

Original use:

Corner structures: Brick and wood philasters. Oswego County has a house (Mex-1 [Osw-1]) north of Mexico, which has what appears to be white pilasters at the corners. Examination from the rear shows that the brick quoins are 2½ bricks in length and 5 bricks high, which have been covered with painted white columns on the two front and left rear corners. Roudabush Survey page 17

Mortar application and content: Horizontal mortar is sloped up and down to a line which makes the cross-section V shaped. Vertical mortar is depressed below the upper horizontal and terminates at the bottom in pyramids which are truncate.

Types and uses of stones: Small, various colors. Stones are rounded small to medium in size, vary in color and are smooth.

Types and choice of windows: Lintels over windows and door are gray limestone.

Structures with similar masonry details:

Masons who worked on building: David Wilcox

Unique features:

Map Location

Map views courtesy Google Maps. Address is Google Earth confirmed; 43°28'29.86"N 76°13'56.40"W. Current owner of record, Brooks as of the 2019 Tax Roll.

Town of Mexico and Oswego County Maps

Comments, Additional Information, References

Editor's note: There is an unresolved contradiction with the address for this structure. Richard Palmer states 5655 Hamilton St., and the National Registry of Historic Places documentation 9/26/1991 states 5644 Hamilton St.; however, all information available to the editor, house and mailbox number with Google Maps street level view and county tax roll, state 164 Hamilton St. which will be used until the matter is resolved.

On the east side of Route 3, several miles north of Mexico, a two story cobblestone house can be found. The building appears to lack quoins, since the corners of the front and left back are covered with painted white columns. The left back corner, viewed from the back, shows the presence of brick quoins which the columns cover on the front and side. The second story portion of the right back corner is also constructed of brick. Stones are rounded small to medium in size, vary in color and are smooth. Horizontal mortar is sloped up and down to a line which makes the cross-section V shaped. Vertical mortar is depressed below the upper horizontal and terminates at the bottom in pyramids which are truncate. Lintels over windows and door are gray limestone. Roudabush Survey page 98

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      One of the finest examples of cobblestone construction is the 1846-vintage Hamilton House at 164 Hamilton St., Mexico. The book, Landmarks of Oswego County, noted "with its wide frieze and corner pilasters, it displays the solidity and sense of permanence so closely associated with the Greek Revival style." It was constructed by Richard Hamilton and his two sons who hauled the cobblestones by oxcart from Lake Ontario after delivering produce to be shipped to Oswego by boat. David Wilcox was the architect and supervised its construction.
      Hamilton came to Mexico from Oneida county with his wife, Agnes in 1834 and purchased 5,000 acres between the village of Mexico and Mexico Point. He was a farmer. The house is constructed of coursed cobblestone of red, gray and black colors. There are heavy pilasters at the corners with heavy stone lintels and sills on the doors and windows. The outside walls of the house are 20 1/2 inches thick. The staircase is straight with square spindles and a turned newel post. It ascends to the second floor from the front door entrance.
      The Victorian-style wing, at right was built in 1879. During renovation work about 1970 the wing and porches were removed. The estate was nicknamed "The Beanery." It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Richard Palmer blog.

Long Ago in Mexico, Reminiscences of Agnes Adele Kingsbury as told to her niece, Marjorie Hamilton Thorpe.

"The Cobblestone Houses of Upstate New York", compiled by Dorothy Wells Pease. Research done in collaboration with Hazed B. Jeffery, supplemented with material furnished by Carl F. Schmidt, 1941. Reference the sixth paragraph on page 40.

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 effective 10/6/1988. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form provides detailed information about cobblestone structure. Hamilton Farmstead Wikipedia article.

Photographs

Mexico 2.jpg ¹	Osw_1_1.jpg	Osw_1_2.jpg	Osw_1_3.jpg
Osw_1_4.jpg	Osw_1_5.jpg	Mex-1 Hamilton House Osw-1 1.jpg ² 9/14/1996	Mex-1 164 Hamilton St 1.jpg ³
Mex-1 164 Hamilton St 2.jpg ³	Mex-1 164 Hamilton St 3.jpg ³	Mex-1 164 Hamilton St 4.jpg ³	Mexico - 164 Hamilton St. (1).jpg 4
Mexico - 164 Hamilton St. (2).jpg 4

¹ Image courtesy Richard Palmer blog. Attribution not provided.
² Image courtesy Cobblestone Museum.
³ Photography courtesy Martin and Sheila Wolfish.
⁴ Photography courtesy Richard Palmer.