Name/Title
Celebrating 300 Years of History of Sarah WellsEntry/Object ID
000657Tags
William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House AssociationScope and Content
The Occasion: Celebrating 300 Years of History
The family and local community gathered to honor Sarah Wells, who in 1712 became the first white woman to settle and establish a homestead in the Wawayanda Patent (modern-day Goshen/Orange County, NY).
The Milestone: Organizers and attendees noted the sheer rarity of celebrating a 300-year local legacy, with one quote highlighting: "We don't get to celebrate something 300 years old very often. In this country it's a rare event."
The Family Legacy: Sarah Wells married William Bull in 1718, and together they built the historic "Hamptonburgh" stone house (completed in 1722 and now known as the Bull Stone House). They had 12 children, and today, there are more than 65,000 documented descendants in the Bull family genealogy.
Key Event: The Sarah Wells Reception
A special tricentennial celebration reception was held at the SUNY Orange Gallery.
Attendees: The event was attended by multiple generations of the Bull/Johnson families, as well as several local officials, including State Senator John Bonacic, County Executive Eddie Diana, and Orange County Parks Commissioner Graham Skea.
SUNY Orange Announcement: SUNY Orange President Richards delivered both "bad and good" news regarding the campus. He announced that the 11,000-square-foot "Sarah Wells" building on campus would be torn down, but it is slated to be replaced by a massive new 117,000-square-foot building dedicated to science and engineering, which will also feature a "Sarah Wells Café" to preserve her name on campus.
Upcoming Tricentennial Events
The Bull Stone House Association announced several upcoming family-style and community events to continue the tricentennial celebration throughout 2012:
"Sarah Wells Day": A family-style country fun day scheduled for May 19th at the Bull Stone House.
"Running with the Bulls": A 5K walk/run scheduled to take place between the Bull Stone House and Hill-Hold.
Tours: Tours of the historic Bull Stone House are available by making an appointment with the association.