Name/Title
Life in a Living Museum, The Bull Stone HouseEntry/Object ID
000615Tags
William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House AssociationScope and Content
Life in a Living Museum: The Bull Stone House
The main article, "Life like an open book for museum keepers" (published in The Times Herald-Record on November 4, 1987), highlights Mike and Betty Brown, who live in and maintain the historic Bull Stone House in Orange County, New York.
The History: Built in the early 1700s by Ebenezer Bull, the stone house was purchased in the 1920s and turned into a museum/memorial. Mike Brown’s parents served as caretakers for 30 years, and Mike (a Bull family descendant) and Betty took over the responsibility around 1974.
The Reality of Museum Living: Raising a family of seven children in a public museum meant maintaining constant cleanliness, as visitors could arrive for tours at any time.
Inside the House:
Artifacts & Curiosities: The house contains historic farm tools, Native American artifacts, and a "corpse board" (used historically to carry the deceased out of the home).
The "Cooling" Room: A massive room behind the kitchen originally used to shelter livestock (horses and cows) during Indian wars to keep them safe from theft.
Living Quarters: The home features a master bedroom filled with 18th-century antiques, while the attic contains a spacious room featuring century-old carousel horses.
Community & Legacy: The Browns host annual picnics on the grounds for up to 400 descendants of the Bull family.
📜 The Legend of Sarah Wells & William Bull
A second clipping from the Orange County Post (June 9, 1987) details an upcoming public lecture presented by Mike Brown on the history of the Bull family founders:
Sarah Wells' Journey: In 1712, 16-year-old Sarah Wells traveled through the wilderness with Native American guides to settle along the Otterkill Creek (modern-day Hamptonburgh).
The First Marriage: She met English stonemason William Bull, and they became the first white couple to marry in Orange County.
The Event: The slide-lecture exploring this local history was hosted by the Historic Blooming Grove Association at the Moffat Library on June 16, 1987.