Hammond House (Eastview, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hammond House
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West profile and south elevation, 2014
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Eastview, NY |
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| Nearest city | White Plains |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1720 |
| Architect | William Hammond |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002790 |
| Added to NRHP | May 6, 1980 |
The Hammond House is a very old wooden house located in Eastview, New York. It sits on Grasslands Road, which is also called New York State Route 100C. The oldest part of the house was built in the 1720s, making it one of the oldest homes in Westchester County. Later, more parts were added in the 1800s.
In 1980, the Hammond House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site. It's special because it's one of only two tenant houses left from the old Philipsburg Manor.
The house also has an exciting connection to the American Revolutionary War. Colonel James Hammond, whose father built the house, was a leader of the American Patriot soldiers in Westchester. There's a famous story that George Washington himself visited the house in 1780. He supposedly left just before enemy soldiers, called Loyalists, surrounded the house!
The Hammond family owned the house until the 1920s. Then, New York City bought the land to protect its water supply. The city planned to tear down the house, but a local history group saved it. They bought the house and fixed it up to be a historic house museum.
The house was a museum for about 50 years. Later, the historical society changed its focus. They sold the house to New York Medical College, which used it for medical research. In the 1990s, two brothers bought the house. They have been working to restore it and keep its history alive.
Contents
What the House Looks Like
The Hammond House sits on a one-acre piece of land. It is on the east corner of a small street off Grasslands Road. The area around it is mostly open space with large buildings, like New York Medical College.
The house itself has three main parts. The biggest part is the original house, which is one-and-a-half stories tall. It has a pointed roof with a brick chimney in the middle. The outside walls are made of wooden boards called clapboard.
A porch runs along the entire front of the house. Its roof hangs over and is held up by six square wooden posts. The main front door is in the middle of the porch. It's a wooden door with glass and old-fashioned metal parts.
Most of the windows on the first floor have two parts that slide up and down. They also have wooden shutters on the sides. Some of the windows on the west side are the original ones from when the house was built.
The west part of the house is a two-story section. It was actually built somewhere else and then moved and attached to the main house later. This part has a "saltbox" style roof, which means it's lower on one side. Part of its wall is made of brick where a fireplace used to be.
The east part of the house is also two stories tall. It looks similar to the main house with its wooden walls and pointed roof. Its roof is a bit flatter than the main house's roof.
Inside, the main front door opens into a small hallway. To the west is the original living room, which still has its old fireplace. Across from it was the original kitchen. There's also a large bedroom with a fireplace and other smaller rooms.
All the rooms have their original wide wooden floors. Most walls are covered in plaster, but two walls in the living room are made of wood. Some of the original wooden doors are still there too. Stairs lead up to the unfinished attic. The house does not have a basement.
House History
The Hammond House has a long and interesting history, with some changes in who owned it over the years.
Building the House (1719–1860)
William Hammond came to New York in the early 1700s. He was born in Bermuda. He worked hard and was able to rent 200 acres of farmland on the Philipsburg Manor. This manor was a huge land area that covered most of eastern Westchester County.
William started building his house in 1719 and finished it in 1720. The main part of the house today is what he built back then.
The house is special for a few reasons. First, its long front porch is similar to another old house nearby, the Elijah Miller House. Second, William built the house without a basement. Its wooden beams fit together like a puzzle, so the house could be taken apart and moved easily. It was almost like an early version of a mobile home! This was smart in case he lost his land lease.
Luckily, William never had to move. He became an important person in the community. He was a captain in the local soldiers, called the militia, starting in 1755. He also became a leader at the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, which is a very old church in New York.
When William died in 1762, his oldest son, James, took over the house and the land lease.
The Revolutionary War and Beyond
James Hammond also became a leader in the local militia. He fought for the American Patriot side during the American Revolutionary War. In 1776, he became a full colonel and led his troops in the Battle of White Plains.
There's a famous story about James Hammond and George Washington. In 1780, Washington supposedly left a quick meeting with Hammond at the house. Minutes later, enemy soldiers called Loyalists surrounded the house, hoping to capture Washington. They didn't find Washington, but they captured Hammond instead! He was held prisoner for about a year and a half.
After the war, the old manor system ended. James Hammond was able to buy the land the house was on, plus another 242 acres. He continued to farm wheat and flax. He also followed his father's path and became a leader at the Old Dutch Church.
James Hammond passed away in 1810. His family kept the house for many generations throughout the 1800s. Some of his family members also became important military figures.
The house was made bigger twice while the Hammonds owned it. In 1835, a small separate cottage on the property was moved and attached to the house. This became the west wing. Then, in 1860, the east wing was built.
Saving the House (1861–Present)
Eventually, the Hammond family moved away, and the house was left empty. By the early 1900s, New York City owned the house. It was on a large piece of land important for the city's water supply. The city planned to tear down the old, neglected house.
But in 1926, the Westchester County Historical Society stepped in. They convinced the city to sell them just the house for $50. The city still had the right to tear it down or have it moved. The historical society fixed up the house and opened it as a historic house museum three years later.
For the next 50 years, the house was a popular museum. The historical society did some small repairs, like fixing floors and walls. However, after the 1960s, they mostly did basic upkeep and didn't fix bigger problems. In the 1970s, the society changed its main goal from saving old buildings to doing historical research. This meant the house and its old items weren't as well cared for.
By the early 1980s, the house needed a lot of work. A study showed it would cost $500,000 to repair it. The historical society tried to get the city to give them the land or sell it cheaply, but they couldn't agree.
In 1984, the society talked to another group, Historic Hudson Valley. This group manages several historic homes. They were interested in moving the original part of the house to another historic site. But the historical society didn't want to separate the wings from the main house.
So, in 1989, the society decided to sell the house. They hoped someone would buy it and keep it on its original spot. All the old items and records from the house were moved to a new storage center.
Later that year, New York Medical College bought the house. The college was growing in the area. The house became a research center for Lyme disease, which was a growing health issue in Westchester.
By 1995, the house was again in danger of being torn down or moved. But then, two brothers, Frederick and Michael Rock, bought it. Frederick fixed it up to live in. He loves folk music and started hosting music gatherings, called hootenannies, at the house in 1999. These events grew and featured many talented musicians.
