DeRham Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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DeRham Farm
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Main house south elevation and east profile, 2008
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| Location | Garrison, NY |
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| Area | 19.4 acres (7.9 ha) |
| Built | early 1800s |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002750 |
| Added to NRHP | 1980 |
The former DeRham Farm is a historic group of buildings. It is located along Indian Brook Road in Philipstown, near Garrison. A gentleman farmer built this collection of buildings in the early 1800s. All the buildings are still standing today.
Since it was built, the farm has been split into four connected pieces of land. These pieces are on both sides of the road. Together, they cover almost 20 acres. In 1980, the DeRham Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site.
Contents
What is DeRham Farm Like?
There are 15 important buildings on the DeRham Farm property. All of them used to be part of the farm. They are spread out across the four pieces of land.
The Main House
The main house is located off Indian Brook Road. It has great views of the Hudson River and the mountains. This house has two and a half stories. It features a long porch, called a veranda, on its front side. This porch is supported by columns. The roof is a special type called a mansard roof. It has windows that stick out, called dormers. A two-story section also extends from the west side of the house. It also has a mansard roof.
The main entrance is very fancy. It has a rounded window above the door. There are also decorative columns on the sides. Inside, the main hallway has wood panels on the lower part of the walls. The rooms have their original fireplaces. Two of these are made of marble. One is carved in a style called Adamesque.
Other Farm Buildings
Across the road from the main house is a small cottage. It has a low-sloped roof. There is also a brick building that used to store carriages. This carriage house has two pyramid-shaped roofs. Each roof has a small tower on top called a cupola. It also has round-arched windows.
East of the cottage is the caretaker's house. This house is shaped like a "T." It has wooden siding and unique arched windows. North of these buildings is another home, called the orchard house. It sits on a rock ledge. This house has dormer windows that are sloped. It also has a central section that sticks out with a small roof. The windows are narrow and arched.
Many smaller buildings are also on the property. There is a playhouse and a shed near the main house. A wellhouse and a garage are close to the orchard house. East of the caretaker's cottage, you can find a barn. There are also the remains of another barn. Two greenhouses, a root cellar, and a water tower are also part of the farm.
History of DeRham Farm
The land where DeRham Farm stands was first farmed in the early 1700s. A farmer named Thomas Davenport worked the land. At that time, it was part of a very large property owned by the Philipse family.
Early Owners
During the American Revolutionary War, the Philipse family lost much of their land. This was because they supported the British side. However, the land that became DeRham Farm was not taken away. It belonged to the heirs of Philip Philipse, who had passed away earlier. Thomas Davenport and his family lived in a small wooden house on the property. We don't know exactly where that house was.
William Davenport, Thomas's grandson, left the area around 1802. He sold his right to use the land to a family named Wheelock. The Wheelocks bought the land completely from the Philipse heirs in 1827. The document for this sale mentions the main house and some other buildings. This means they were likely built while the Wheelocks owned the property.
The De Rham Family
In 1830, the Wheelocks sold the property to brothers Adolphus and John Watson. The Watsons ran a school called Highland School in the main house until 1835. The next year, they sold the farm to Henry Casimir de Rham. He was an immigrant from Switzerland. Henry de Rham had become a very successful merchant and banker in New York.
De Rham owned and used the farm as a summer and weekend home. He kept it until he passed away in 1874. He renamed the farm "Giez," after his hometown in Switzerland. Henry de Rham made three big changes to the main house in the 1800s. He added the Greek Revival porch. He also made the east wing bigger. He added a west wing and the mansard roofs to the whole house. The orchard house was also updated and made larger in 1929.
The de Rham family continued to own the farm until 1949. At that time, it was divided into the four separate pieces of land we see today. The family kept one of these pieces. The next year, the east wing of the main house was taken down. There have not been any major changes to the farm since then.
