Garrison Grist Mill Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Garrison Grist Mill Historic District is a 13.4 acres (5.4 ha) parcel of Highlands Country Club located at the southwest corner of the intersection of NY 9D
and Lower Station Road (Putnam County
Route 12) in Garrison
, New York
, United States
. It contains three buildings, including the titular gristmill
(believed to be one of the oldest in the county, and a dam
, all dating to the colonial era
or the early years of American independence. They are interspersed within the club's golf course
, and actually come under the ownership of the Open Space Institute
.
Little is known about who built the structures, and when. Their architecture suggests they are among the oldest buildings in Garrison, some of the few extant examples of vernacular architecture
in the hamlet. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) as a historic district
in 1992.
is across 9D, the Mandeville House
across Lower Station and Wilson House
a short distance to the west down Lower Station, which leads to the train station
and the neighboring Garrison Landing Historic District
. Castle Rock
is visible to the east atop a nearby mountain. The three buildings and one structure, all contributing resources
, are located between the fairways of the golf course.
The most noticeable building in the district is the red frame
one-and-half-story farmhouse visible from the nearby intersection. It sits on a slight slope to the nearby Hudson River
. Its shingle
siding was applied later over painted weatherboard. The main block retains more of its original furnishing and layout than the kitchen wing.
Five hundred feet (151 m) south of the farmhouse is a New World Dutch barn
, in the traditional wood-frame style with large wagon doors at each end. It is sided in weathered clapboard
. To its northwest sits the millpond, and at the other end is the gristmill, where the landscape begins to descend more steeply to the river. It is a -story building that has been converted
to an apartment in part. In addition to that there have been other renovations and deterioration to the property over the years.
The last property in the district is the dam. It is made of locally quarried
stone and begins 50 feet (15.2 m) east of the mill, following a natural fall line at the northwest corner of the district.
as late as 1820. The framing system of the farmhouse is more commonly found in the lower valley, in areas closer to New York City that were settled earlier, and more study is needed, especially given the high integrity of the structure.
The earliest landowner known to have developed property in the area was Jacob Mandeville, a New York City businessman who leased 400 acres (161.9 ha) in the area from Beverley Robinson
in 1735 and built his still-extant home just outside the district. It is possible that he could have built the farm and mill before the Revolution
, but there is no record that would prove this.
His landlord was a Virginia
n who had married into the Philipse family, whose vast landholdings extended from the Garrison area almost to what is today known as Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx, was like his in-laws a Loyalist
during the Revolution
who actively fought for the crown. The Robinson and Philipse lands were confiscated during the war, and after the colonists' victory he left for England. Mandeville was allowed to live out his life on the (now subdivided
) property he had leased, and after his death in 1784 it was purchased by his son-in-law, Joshua Nelson.
Nelson further subdivided the property, and in 1792 sold the 70 acres (28.3 ha) parcel including the district. From him it passed through several other owners, who appear to have continued to farm and mill. The last of these, Thomas Arden and his family, acquired the property in 1820 and continued to own it for the rest of the century. In 1899, the Ardenia Corporation, a local conservation organization took title and, shortly afterward, leased it to the newly formed Highlands Country Club for use as part of its golf course.
As Garrison became a popular area to build large riverside estates, the properties remained untouched but were also largely ignored by any historians of the area. In 1934, however, Thomas Hotchkiss, a Peekskill
man working for the Historic American Buildings Survey
visited what he described as the "Galloway Farmhouse", then in use as a greenskeeper's lodge, and wrote a brief report as well as taking photographs and making sketches. Hotchkiss noted the unique historicity of a group of buildings that were so old having survived the later surge of local development, and documented some features of the buildings, particularly the mill wheel's exterior gearing, that have since been lost.
In 1986 it came under the control of the Open Space Institute
(OSI), as part of a 71 acres (28.7 ha) parcel that became Arden Point State Park. OSI renovated the mill, and has allowed the club to continue its use as a golf course, since that preserves the original agricultural
character of the surrounding land.
New York State Route 9D
New York State Route 9D , also known as the Bear Mountain – Beacon Highway, is a north–south state highway that runs along the eastern shore of the Hudson River in New York in the United States. It starts at the eastern end of the Bear Mountain Bridge at U.S...
and Lower Station Road (Putnam County
Putnam County, New York
Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the lower Hudson River Valley. Putnam county formed in 1812, when it detached from Dutchess County. , the population was 99,710. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel...
Route 12) in Garrison
Garrison, New York
Garrison is a hamlet in Putnam County, New York, United States. It is part of the town of Philipstown and is on the east side of the Hudson River, across from the United States Military Academy at West Point...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It contains three buildings, including the titular gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
(believed to be one of the oldest in the county, and a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
, all dating to the colonial era
Colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
or the early years of American independence. They are interspersed within the club's golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
, and actually come under the ownership of the Open Space Institute
Open Space Institute
Open Space Institute is a conservation organization and think tank with an extensive mission statement. It seeks to preserve scenic, natural and historic landscapes for public enjoyment, conserve habitats while sustaining community character, and help protect the environment...
.
Little is known about who built the structures, and when. Their architecture suggests they are among the oldest buildings in Garrison, some of the few extant examples of vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
in the hamlet. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP) as a historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
in 1992.
Geography and properties
The district is bounded on the east by Route 9D, the north by Lower Station Road, the south by Arden Brook and the west by a dirt path that goes from Lower Station to the brook. Other NRHP-listed properties are nearby: The BirchesThe Birches (Garrison, New York)
The Birches is a house at the southeast corner of the junction of NY 9D and 403 in the hamlet of Garrison, New York, United States. It was built for William Osborn, as part of his nearby Wing & Wing estate, by architect Ralph Adams Cram in the Gothic Revival architectural style.In 1982 it was added...
is across 9D, the Mandeville House
Mandeville House
The Mandeville House is located on Lower Station Road in Garrison, New York, United States, just west of its intersection with NY 9D and 403. It is the oldest extant house in that community, dating to 1735....
across Lower Station and Wilson House
Wilson House (Garrison, New York)
The Wilson House in Garrison, New York, United States is located at a bend in Lower Station Road just uphill from Garrison Landing and the train station at the Hudson River, and downhill from Mandeville House and the Garrison Grist Mill Historic District. Records suggest it was built sometime...
a short distance to the west down Lower Station, which leads to the train station
Garrison (Metro-North station)
The Garrison Metro-North Railroad station serves residents of Garrison, New York via the Hudson Line. Trains leave for New York City every hour on weekdays and about every 25 minutes during rush hour...
and the neighboring Garrison Landing Historic District
Garrison Landing Historic District
The Garrison Landing Historic District, also known as Garrison's Landing, is a small commercial and residential area located between what is now the Metro-North Hudson Line and the Hudson River in Garrison, New York, United States. Its buildings were mostly erected in the 1850s, around the time the...
. Castle Rock
Castle Rock (Garrison, New York)
Castle Rock is the estate of former Illinois Central Railroad president William H. Osborn in Garrison, New York, United States. It sits on the hill of the same name, looking down on the Hudson River below...
is visible to the east atop a nearby mountain. The three buildings and one structure, all contributing resources
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
, are located between the fairways of the golf course.
The most noticeable building in the district is the red frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
one-and-half-story farmhouse visible from the nearby intersection. It sits on a slight slope to the nearby Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. Its shingle
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
siding was applied later over painted weatherboard. The main block retains more of its original furnishing and layout than the kitchen wing.
Five hundred feet (151 m) south of the farmhouse is a New World Dutch barn
Dutch barn
Dutch barn is the name given to markedly different types of barns in the United States and Canada, and in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Dutch barns represent the oldest and rarest types of barns. There are relatively few—probably less than 600—of these barns still intact...
, in the traditional wood-frame style with large wagon doors at each end. It is sided in weathered clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
. To its northwest sits the millpond, and at the other end is the gristmill, where the landscape begins to descend more steeply to the river. It is a -story building that has been converted
Adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for. Along with brownfield reclamation, adaptive reuse is seen by many as a key factor in land conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl...
to an apartment in part. In addition to that there have been other renovations and deterioration to the property over the years.
The last property in the district is the dam. It is made of locally quarried
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
stone and begins 50 feet (15.2 m) east of the mill, following a natural fall line at the northwest corner of the district.
History
There is little, if any, mention of the mill, barn or farmhouse in early histories or maps of the Garrison area. Although the architectural styles and building materials strongly suggest a mid- to late 18th century construction date, similar buildings are known to have been erected in the Hudson ValleyHudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
as late as 1820. The framing system of the farmhouse is more commonly found in the lower valley, in areas closer to New York City that were settled earlier, and more study is needed, especially given the high integrity of the structure.
The earliest landowner known to have developed property in the area was Jacob Mandeville, a New York City businessman who leased 400 acres (161.9 ha) in the area from Beverley Robinson
Beverley Robinson
Beverley Robinson , a wealthy colonist from New York, was a son of the Hon. John Robinson of Virginia, who was the President of that colony. He is mostly remembered as the commander of the Loyal American Regiment, a loyalist regiment in the American War of Independence and for his work with the...
in 1735 and built his still-extant home just outside the district. It is possible that he could have built the farm and mill before the Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, but there is no record that would prove this.
His landlord was a Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
n who had married into the Philipse family, whose vast landholdings extended from the Garrison area almost to what is today known as Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx, was like his in-laws a Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
during the Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
who actively fought for the crown. The Robinson and Philipse lands were confiscated during the war, and after the colonists' victory he left for England. Mandeville was allowed to live out his life on the (now subdivided
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
) property he had leased, and after his death in 1784 it was purchased by his son-in-law, Joshua Nelson.
Nelson further subdivided the property, and in 1792 sold the 70 acres (28.3 ha) parcel including the district. From him it passed through several other owners, who appear to have continued to farm and mill. The last of these, Thomas Arden and his family, acquired the property in 1820 and continued to own it for the rest of the century. In 1899, the Ardenia Corporation, a local conservation organization took title and, shortly afterward, leased it to the newly formed Highlands Country Club for use as part of its golf course.
As Garrison became a popular area to build large riverside estates, the properties remained untouched but were also largely ignored by any historians of the area. In 1934, however, Thomas Hotchkiss, a Peekskill
Peekskill, New York
Peekskill is a city in Westchester County, New York. It is situated on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across from Jones Point.This community was known to be an early American industrial center, primarily for its iron plow and stove products...
man working for the Historic American Buildings Survey
Historic American Buildings Survey
The Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
visited what he described as the "Galloway Farmhouse", then in use as a greenskeeper's lodge, and wrote a brief report as well as taking photographs and making sketches. Hotchkiss noted the unique historicity of a group of buildings that were so old having survived the later surge of local development, and documented some features of the buildings, particularly the mill wheel's exterior gearing, that have since been lost.
In 1986 it came under the control of the Open Space Institute
Open Space Institute
Open Space Institute is a conservation organization and think tank with an extensive mission statement. It seeks to preserve scenic, natural and historic landscapes for public enjoyment, conserve habitats while sustaining community character, and help protect the environment...
(OSI), as part of a 71 acres (28.7 ha) parcel that became Arden Point State Park. OSI renovated the mill, and has allowed the club to continue its use as a golf course, since that preserves the original agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
character of the surrounding land.
External links
- Galloway Farmhouse, Manitou Road, Garrison, Putnam, NY: 6 drawings, 2 photos, 3 data pages, and supplemental materials at Historic American Building Survey
- Grist Mill, Manitou Road, Garrison, Putnam, NY: 7 drawings, 4 photos, 4 data pages, and supplemental materials at Historic American Building Survey