Name/Title
History of The Bull FamilyEntry/Object ID
001996Tags
William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House AssociationScope and Content
HISTORY OF THE BULL FAMILY
Notes of Interest:
William Bull (✓) was a Stone Mason from England about 1716. He migrated to Orange County, N.Y. and started building the Stone House in 1722. It took about 13 years to build.
He married Sarah Wells of Staten Island in 1718. They had 12 children, 5 boys and 7 girls. He built Knox’s Headquarters (the ~~Ellison~~ X House) in New Windsor, in 1754 for Sixty Pounds (@ $150).
The first Bull Picnic was held in 1868. The early picnics were held on Wednesday for the benefit of the farmers who were busy with their other duties on Saturdays. In 1957 it was moved to the fourth Sat. in Aug. and in 1986 was moved to the third Sat. in Aug. to accommodate the College students who were ready to return to school.
English building tradition leaves the building unfinished — thus the scaffold holes in the WEST & NORTH sides of the Stone House at the Second Story level. This was a sign of informality.
The antiques in the house include:
a. Flintlock Musket — made by Vines of Phila.
b. Percussion lock C/W musket dated 1861
c. Civil War canteen
d. Folding Officers Cot or berthing bed
e. Sarah Wells’ Wedding Gown
f. along with many others
Indians used to visit the Bull family.
The "Bull Family History" was published in 1974 after many years of research and dedicated work. There have been two additional printings — 1976 and 1983. An Addendum was printed in 1984. The next phase is under way to continue the work with the addition of the next generations in another volume. The purchase of a computer will hasten the work and make it much easier to continue in the future, as new information is found and inserted in the records.
Two copies of video tapes made of the 1976 and 1985 picnics are available for loan. We are planning to video tape all of the buildings with a complete description of the buildings, rooms and furnishings, with stories related to them — to be used for cousins unable to attend or to be used as a training devise for young people that could serve as guides at picnic time.