Building date: 1825-1830 * See The Calkins Homestead article in "Comments, Additional Information, References" section below.
Original use:
Corner structures:
Mortar application and content: Grouted
Types and uses of stones:
Types and choice of windows:
Structures with similar masonry details:
Masons who worked on building:
Unique features:
Map views courtesy Google Maps. Address is Google Earth confirmed; 43°04'24.05"N 78°17'43.42"W. Current owner of record, Lamb & Lamb, LP as of date (YMD) 190407.
Town of Oakfield and Genesee County Maps
"Cobblestone Examples Noted in Genesee Recall Construction Over Century Ago
The Calkins Homestead, By Helen E. Caton, Historian, Town of Oakfield, 1964
The Calkins homestead, a cobblestone structure built on the Judge Road, just west of the United States Gypsum Company, was built about 1825-30* by two Calkins brothers, Daniel and Dlsbrow. They came to Oakfield from Connecticut when in their early twenties. They had worked on the Erie Canal as stone masons. When this was completed, they secured a grant of land from the Holland Land Company and decided to build a home.
In the spring and fall, when the work lessened or was unfavorable for farming, they drove their teams (and it has been said they were oxen) to the shores of Lake Ontario to pick the water washed type of cobblestone until they had a goodly supply toward the building of a house. However they did use some field cobblestone found on their own farm.
The house was beautifully built, deep window and door casings, an four fire places, two upstairs and two down. Just inside the front entrance gas a very pretty stairway.
After the two brothers married, they split up, Daniel living in the cobblestone and Daniel in the red brick house which they built together on the opposite side of the road. The red brick was manufactured at a brick factory the boys owned on the site of the present U. S. Papermill. This house was eventually sold to Oscar Holcomb, to Nathaniel Macomber, to Wilbur Reed, to the U.S.G. Co., then to the L.L. Reed. Upon his death when the estate was settled, it was purchased by Virgil Phelps in 1964 along with the other L.L.Reed farm.
Getting back to the cobblestone house, 1885, it was purchased by Parley V. Ingalsbe from the Calkins family and at his death was left to his son Seward Ingalsbe. While in the Ingalsbe estate it was made into a two family unit, front and back, until purchased by Arthur Martin in March l954.
Since Mr. Martin purchased it the interior has been completely remodeled in to a one family dwelling. His son and wife, Jack and Lillian Fltzsimmons Martin and children now reside there. Not long ago the front entrance was in need of repair. and instead of keeping the original front entrance plan it was sorrowfully changed into just an ordinary entrance.
* These dates are erroneous. This house is of the 1840s period. Richard Palmer blog.
- "Cobblestone Masonry", 1966, Carl Schmidt: Name reference, Calkins-Martin House
- Page 29
¹ Photography courtesy Martin and Sheila Wolfish.
² Image courtesy Cobblestone Museum.
³ Photography courtesy Richard Palmer.
