Captain Moses W. Collyer House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Capt. Moses W. Collyer House
|
|
Front (west) elevation and south profile, 2008
|
|
| Location | Chelsea, NY |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Poughkeepsie |
| Built | 1899 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| MPS | Chelsea MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001370 |
| Added to NRHP | 1987 |
The Captain Moses W. Collyer House, also known as Driftwood, is a historic home in Chelsea, New York, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. This means it's an important place worth protecting.
This house was the home of Captain Moses W. Collyer. He was a famous riverboat captain on the nearby Hudson River. He lived here from 1899 until he passed away in 1942. A few years after moving in, he helped write a book called The Sloops of the Hudson. This book was about his life and the history of sailboats on the Hudson River. It is still seen as the best book about that time and those boats.
The house itself was built just before the year 1900. It mixes different Victorian building styles. These styles show Captain Collyer's travels along the river. Today, it is still a private home and is not open to visitors.
Contents
Exploring the Captain's Home
The Captain Moses W. Collyer House looks out over the Hudson River. It stands across River Road and the railroad tracks. These tracks are now used by Metro-North trains. The house is a two-story home made of wood. It sits on a brick foundation. The roof is a special kind called a gambrel roof. On the south side, a brick datestone shows "M.W. COLLYER/1899". This tells us when it was built.
The front of the house has a wide porch that wraps around. The porch has four sections on the first floor. The second floor has three sections. Some parts of the house stick out at the back. These parts have smaller gambrel roofs.
The house is covered in clapboard siding up to the roof. Then, shingles are used on the gambrel parts of the roof. Each gambrel section has one window. The window on the front of the house is the most fancy. It is a Palladian window style.
The porch has its original wooden columns. They are shaped and turned. A simple railing connects them. Much of the inside of the house is also original. This includes the oak staircase in the main hall. There is also a marbleized mantelpiece in the parlor. The upstairs and attic were finished. They were used as bedrooms and rooms for servants.
Other Buildings on the Property
There are a few other buildings on the property. They are all important to the historic look of the place.
- A large wooden garden shed was built with the house. It looks similar to the main house.
- A small wooden outhouse is also nearby. It matches the house's style.
- The garage was built around 1932. Captain Collyer built it as a wedding gift for his daughter. A wooden plaque on the garage tells this story.
A River Captain's Story
Captain Moses Collyer was born around 1850. He was from Red Hook, a town further up the Hudson River. His father, John L. Collyer, started working on the river in the 1830s. John Collyer became a captain and owned a packet sloop. This boat sailed from Red Hook to New York City. He continued sailing until he passed away in 1889. Moses's uncles also became wealthy in the shipbuilding business.
In 1865, John Collyer sailed the sloop Benjamin Franklin out of Poughkeepsie. Moses joined the boat that year as a cabin boy. The Benjamin Franklin carried pottery and dishes. It sailed between Poughkeepsie and other Hudson River ports. Moses kept working in the family business. In 1877, he joined the schooner Iron Age. The next year, he became the captain and owner of another schooner, the Henry B. Fidderman. Two years later, he started working on steamers. He was captain of the Henrietta Collyer. This boat was built for carrying iron and limestone on the river.
Captain Collyer also bought a sloop called Mohican. It was built in 1837. He had it sunk in front of his house. It served as a barrier against waves and a dock. You can sometimes see parts of the Mohican south of the Chelsea Yacht Club, especially when the water is low.
Members of the Collyer family had lived in Chelsea since 1868. However, we don't know exactly where. In 1899, Captain Collyer was getting ready to retire. The New York Central Railroad's train lines had started to replace river travel. So, he built this house. Detailed records from its building still exist today. These include photos and receipts for materials. They show us how homes were built around the year 1900.
A few years later, Captain Collyer worked with William Verplanck. Verplanck was from a rich local family and owned boats. They wrote The Sloops of the Hudson together. Captain Collyer remembered many details about the ships and people he knew. This made the second half of the book, which he wrote, very important. It is the most complete record of the sailing era on the Hudson River.
The house has not changed much since it was built. The garage was added later. The porch steps have been rebuilt, and a handrail was put in. The porch itself has also been enclosed.
The House's Design
The Captain Moses W. Collyer House shows a mix of building styles. These styles were popular in the late 1800s. The way the house is shaped, with different parts but still compact, is like the Queen Anne style. This style was ending its popularity then.
But the house also shows the start of the Colonial Revival style. This style became very popular in the early 1900s. You can see this in the gambrel roof and the Palladian window. The house's overall style shows how building trends were changing. It also shows how Chelsea was becoming more connected to the larger economy.
Inside, the house also shows changing tastes. The rooms are not as grand as older Victorian homes. This suggests the house was more for living in than for big parties. The kitchen and other backrooms are more open. This shows a more equal way of living than a very strict Victorian home. The marbleized mantelpiece and the unpainted oak stair also show the mix of old and new styles.
