Dodge-Greenleaf House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dodge-Greenleaf House
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Front (west) elevation and north profile, 2008
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| Location | Otisville, NY |
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| Nearest city | Port Jervis |
| Area | 3.6 acres (15,000 m2) |
| Built | c. 1855; renovated and expanded in late 1870s |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 08000142 |
| Added to NRHP | March 5, 2008 |
The Dodge-Greenleaf House is a historic home located in Otisville, New York, United States. It was built around 1855. The house is a great example of the Gothic Revival style. This style was popular for homes back then.
The architect who designed it is unknown. However, the house shows ideas from famous architect Andrew Jackson Downing. He lived nearby and wrote books about home design. His ideas helped make the "Picturesque" style popular.
The Dodge-Greenleaf House has always been a private home. For a short time, the Erie Railroad owned it. They used it for workers while building the Otisville Tunnel. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 2008. It was the first building in Otisville to get this special recognition.
Contents
What Does the Dodge-Greenleaf House Look Like?
The house sits on a slightly sloped piece of land. This land is about 2.1 acres (8,500 m2) big. It is located between Route 211 and Main Street in Otisville. The total property listed as historic is 3.6 acres (15,000 m2). This includes the house, three smaller buildings, and other old features.
The house is 1½ stories tall with a two-story section at the back. This gives it an L-shape. The front of the house has three sections. The roof is steep and green, with pointed cross-gables. Smaller dormer gables also stick out.
Fancy wooden boards called bargeboards decorate the edges of the gables. There are also pointed decorations called finials at the very top. Two large brick chimneys make the house look even taller.
Porch and Inside Features
There is a porch, or veranda, at the front. It has brick supports and matches the Gothic style of the gables. The porch columns are shaped like octagons. They have open, lacy designs underneath the roof. Wooden lattice work fills the spaces between the brick supports.
The main entrance is set back from the front. It has a special frame around the door. This door opens into the main hallway. On either side are two smaller openings with French doors. These lead to the living and dining rooms. A kitchen and a den are also on the first floor.
The floors in most rooms are made of sawed oak wood in a pattern. The ceilings are ten feet (3 m) high. They have decorative borders called cornices. Some of these have detailed plaster work. All windows and doors have wide frames with rounded designs. This was common in "Picturesque" buildings.
The living room has wood paneling on the lower part of the walls. It also has a bay window with a decorative arch. The house has two fireplaces with marble mantelpieces. These are in an Italianate style. Under the den's fireplace mantel, the letters "ASD" are carved. This stands for Algernon S. Dodge, the first owner.
Other Buildings on the Property
The back section of the house has similar features to the main part. Among the other buildings on the property, the barn has the most Gothic details. This is especially true around its windows. It was painted gray and built with a style called board-and-batten siding. The 1½-story potting shed was also built this way. Its roof rafters are exposed and curved, which is another Gothic touch.
The old outhouse also used board-and-batten siding with Gothic trim. It is unusual because it has two holes for adults and one for a child. Other old items on the property include an old gas pump near the barn. There is also a granite hitching post and part of an early foundation.
Who Lived in the Dodge-Greenleaf House?
Early Owners and Railroad Connection
Algernon Dodge bought the property in 1851. He was a local businessman who owned a general store. He also owned 13 sawmills and was a director of a turnpike company. This company operated the road that is now Route 211. Algernon married one of the Loomis daughters, who were the original owners. He lived in the house from when it was finished until he died in 1881. The house was likely expanded around that time.
His son, Alsop, inherited the house. But he moved to Colorado soon after. Alsop owned the house until 1902. He sold it to William E. Morse. About four years later, a company connected to the Erie Railroad bought it for only $5. This was so the railroad could build a mile-long (1.6 km) tunnel under the property. The engineer in charge of building the tunnel lived in the house while it was being built.
Later Owners and Philanthropy
In 1908, after the tunnel was finished, the railroad sold the house. Oscar Shaw Greenleaf bought it for $1. His son, Oscar Benton Greenleaf, lived there until 1984. Oscar Benton Greenleaf later became known for his charitable giving in the local area.
He sold the house to another couple. They lived there for two decades. The current owners bought the house in 2005.
Why is the Dodge-Greenleaf House Special?
When the house was built in the early 1850s, American home design was changing. People were moving away from the Greek Revival style. They were starting to like the "cottage-style" homes. These were promoted by Andrew Jackson Downing in his books.
Downing died in 1852, but other architects continued his ideas. One was Samuel Sloan, who published pattern books. These books showed designs influenced by Downing's theories. Algernon Dodge was very modern for his time. He built a house that clearly followed this newer style.
The Dodge-Greenleaf House has details similar to Sloan's designs. The steep gables, tall chimneys, and pointed decorations are strong Gothic Revival features. The house looks balanced, but its crossing gables also give it a "Picturesque" quality. The original vertical board-and-batten siding also showed off this style. The inside of the house is more "Picturesque." The fancy marble details suggest an Italianate influence, perhaps from the renovations in the 1870s.
