Building date:
Original use:
Corner structures: Quoins are cut red sandstone
Mortar application and content: Vertical heavy. Vertical mortar is raised, but lacks the more common pyramidal shape.
Types and uses of stones: Stones are irregular, rough and of various colors laid three rows to the quoin.
Types and choice of windows: Lintels red sandstone solid
Structures with similar masonry details: Sod-23 Gaylord
Masons who worked on building:
Unique features:
Map views courtesy Google Maps. Location is Google Earth confirmed; 43°13'10.27"N 76°58'30.44"W, residence and 3.1 acres. Current owner of record, Van DeWalle Fruit Fruit Farm, LLC. as of date (YMD) 190308.
Town of Sodus and Wayne County Maps.
Setting back from the road on the east side of Shaker Rd., about a mile [0.72 mile] north of Ridge Rd., there is a large cobblestone house with a frame addition. Quoins are cut red sandstone, and the window lintels are the same kind of stone. Stones are irregular, rough and of various colors laid three rows to the quoin. Vertical mortar is raised, but lacks the more common pyramidal shape. Roudabush Survey page 112
Abandoned cobblestone house, 6020 Shaker Road, Alton. It is on the east side of the road and is owned by Van DeWalle Fruit Farm. Richard Palmer blog.
Editor's Note: The cobblestone house at 6020 Shaker Road is located on 3.1 acres owned by Van DeWalle Fruit Farm, LLC, about 0.72 miles north of Ridge Road, County Route 143 on the east side of Shaker Road, County Route 14.
Current status of the structure as of summer 2018: The frame addition to the cobblestone residence and all out buildings on the property have been demolished. The fields surrounding the residence have been completely cleared off for new apple orchards and are now surrounded by a high wire fence. A new roof was put on the cobblestone structure to stabilize it from further deterioration. Owner had no immediate plans for it. Richard Palmer.
Yesterday I was escorted thru an old 1838 cobblestone Shaker apple storage and cider building on Shaker Rd, Alton, NY. What do you know about it? The current owner found an old handwritten ledger in the attic with German names & lists of labor hours worked. One name is Espenschied. The roof was caving in so they put a metal roof on to protect the inside which had been turned into a residence with lead pipe plumbing. Chip Stevens, retired architect of Pultneyville New York, email 12/11/2020 provided courtesy of Cynthia Howk.
Chip - Your description of the c. 1838 cobblestone on Shaker Rd/Sodus and the astounding discovery - in recent days - of that original ledger is of immense significance! This is exactly the type of documentation which creates huge excitement, as it's a primary document with extensive details about the construction of a vernacular, 19th-century building in a rural setting and a very special type of masonry (cobblestone).
We discussed the following:
- This vacant cobblestone building at 1620 Shaker Rd/town of Sodus/Wayne Co/NY.
- This building is being rehabilitated by the property owner's 19-yr old son, Harrison Van Der Waal; new metal installed (see photos in "Cobblestone Info Base" - Wayne Co/Sodus/Shaker Rd/Cobblestone No 31).
- Your inspection of the interior framing (12" on center) shows milled lumber from c. 1930s; you speculate that this was originally a storage building (apples?) that was converted to a house in the 1930s, per interior detailing/framing/milled lumber/etc. and the rather 'crude' way windows were 'cut' into the exterior cobblestone masonry walls. Need more research to confirm.
- The 19th century ledger is highly legible and has extensive details about the construction of the house, lists of names/workers, hours worked, etc. - ledger in 'good' condition - was discovered on 2nd floor - your first view of the ledger was just several days ago.
- You are working with student Harrison Van Der Waal on this rehab project/training him to do architectural measured drawings of the house, etc - you're meeting every several weeks to review progress of this project - this is an excellent 'apprenticeship' for him! Cynthia Howk email 12/17/2020.
A hundred years of neglect to this cobblestone structure in Sodus is clearly evident in this early photo (Shown below: Shaker_Road_near_Alton_Town_of_Sodus.jpeg). Remarkably, the current owner has set a course to undo the damage caused by time and neglect.
This vacant cobblestone building at 1620 Shaker Road in Sodus is being rehabilitated by the property owner's 19-year-old son, Harrison Van Der Waal. The project is a collaboration of Van Der Waal and architect Skip Stevens of Pultneyville who has created measured drawings to provide a blueprint for the restoration. Stevens is also checking in every few weeks to gauge progress.
To date, the old wooden wing has been removed and a new metal roof added to the cobblestone structure along with other interior improvements (Shaker Road, Alton, Wayne County 1 and 2 jpg images below).
Van Der Waal is in his freshman year at SUNY/Cobbleskill. He is an exceptional student (valedictorian Sodus High School) and talented photographer. He and his family are also rehabbing a 1920s brick house on adjacent property, which they just purchased. "The Cobblestoner" Winter 2020/21, Vol. 44 No. 1, Cobblestone Museum quarterly publication.
Wayne Historians Organization (WHO), Historic Sites Inventory Cobblestone house
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¹ Image courtesy Cobblestone Museum.
² Photography courtesy Martin and Sheila Wolfish.
³ Photography courtesy Richard Palmer.
