Untitled (7)Tuesday, May 20, 1980 Poughkeepsie Journal- The Stony Kill
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Dutchess has a new historic site --stony Kill
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By Nathan Dykeman
Journal staff writer
FISHKILL—Stony Kill Farm,
the 754 -acre property in the towns
of Fishkill and Wappinger now
operated by the state Department
of Environmental Conservation,
has been placed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
Several buildings on Stony Kill
are involved. The oldest is the
Stone House (sometimes called
the Washington House) which is
believed to date back to 1683, ac-
cording to George O'Donoghue of
the Stony Kill Foundation.
Others are the Manor House,
built in 1843, the 19th century
farmhouse and the barn com-
plex.
Accordingto O'Donoghue, Stony
Kill Farm dates back to the ear-
liest days of colonial settlement in
Dutchess County.
He said the farm goes back to
Aug. 8, 1683 when two fur traders,
Gulian Verplanck and Francis
Rombout, bought 85,000 acres of
land from the Wappingers In-
dians.
In the so-called Great Partition
of 1708, the land was divided into
three sections. The middle section
was retained by the Verplanck fa-
milies. This contained Stony Kill.
In 1836, the 35 farms comprising
the 6,000 -acre Verplanck land
holdings were split among seven
heirs.
About 1940, John and James
Verplanck gave the 754 -acre es-
tate to the state Department of
Education "to preserve the prop-
erty as an agricultural enterprise
in perpetuity and give something
worthwhile to the public."
The farm became part of the
State Agricultural School at Far-
mingdale, and it was used to teach
the students the basics of sound
scientific farming.
In 1963, the college at Farming-
dale said it would no longer need
the farm, and for 10 years it re-
mained largely inactive.
In July, 1973, the Verplanck
Stony Kill Practice Farm was
turned over to the DEC for devel-
opment of a year-round environ-
mental education center.
The Verplancks built the origi-
nal Manor House in 1843, and adl-
tions were put on later. The interi-
or is well-proportioned, with high
ceilings and very fine architec-
tural trim. Almost all the original
architectural woodwork and fire-
place mantels have been preser-
ved. The original furniture is in
the Verplanck Room of the Metro-
politan Museum of Art in New
York City.
The Manor House is now used as
headquarters for the environmen-
tal education center.
The Washington. House dates
from some time not too long after
1683 when Francis Rombout and
Guiian Verplanck bought 85,000
acres from the Indians. The house
was standing during the Revolu-
tionary War about 100 years later,
and was reportedly used by
American officers as a headquar-
ters.
The 19th century farmhouse dat-
ing from the mid 19th century will
be preserved as part of the histor-
ic farm environment.
A complex of late 19th century
barns used when Stony Kill was an
operating farm will be retained
and restored for use by the en-
vironmental education center's
farm program. The barns are
being used for storage of farm
equipment and crops.
The complex also will be used as
a farm tool museum, and perhaps
eventually as quarters for live-
stock.