Name/Title
Touring the Stone HouseEntry/Object ID
000543Tags
Michael K Brown, Betty BrownScope and Content
GOSHEN — Nearly 300 area residents, men, women, and children, took a step into the past Saturday.
Armed with cameras, cars, and a six-page guide prepared by the Goshen Historic Commission, they undertook the annual Goshen House Tour. As might be expected, women greatly outnumbered men, but a surprising number of husbands were on hand, none of them complaining too loudly.
For the lover of fine old homes and antiques, there was much to enthuse over.
First a stop at the Goshen Library to buy a ticket and a guide and then on to the delightful home of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Bromley at 298 Main St. There the crowds aohed and ahhed over a fine collection of antique bottles on a stairway shelf, an 1836 sampler, and a tiny doll crib.
Then on to the spacious country home of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald B. Donnelly, located on the Sarah Wells Trail. It’s most outstanding feature, in addition to an absolutely huge living room decorated with fine antiques, was the dining room mural depicting the adventures of Sarah Wells, one of Goshen’s first settlers.
Sarah’s wedding dress was on view for all to see at the Bull Stone House, originally built by Sarah and her husband, William Bull, around 1722. Presently occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Michael Brown and their seven children, the house retains its original slave quarters and an underground spring.
Also included on the tour was the Bull-Jackson House, overlooking the Town of Hamptonburgh, and the Old Stone Schoolhouse, one of the oldest one-room schoolhouses in Orange County.
The afternoon ended with a tea at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Ottaway of Campbell Hall. There visitors were given an opportunity to see a delightful blend of family heirlooms in a contemporary architectural setting. Commanding particular attention was a Tiffany grandfather’s clock and a dining room set dating back to around 1880.
Sipping tea and nibbling delicious snacks, the guests agreed on one common point: They could hardly wait until the next tour!
Photo Caption:
Mrs. Michael Brown, left, and two of her children greet visitors to the Bull Stone House Saturday at the Goshen Historic Commission’s annual house tour.