Hawley's Ferry House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hawley's Ferry House
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Kingsland Bay State Park, Ferrisburgh, Vermont |
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| Area | 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) |
| Built | 1790 |
| Built by | Hawley, Gideon |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000224 |
| Added to NRHP | November 2, 1978 |
The Hawley's Ferry House, also known as the Hawley House, is a very old and special building. It stands by Lake Champlain in Kingsland Bay State Park, Ferrisburgh, Vermont. This house was built around 1790. It is one of the few buildings from the 1700s still standing on the Vermont side of the lake. Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
About Hawley's Ferry House
Kingsland Bay is a part of Lake Champlain that faces north. It is surrounded by Kingsland Bay State Park. This park is a place where people can visit for the day. The Hawley House is found on the west side of Macdonough Point. Most of the park's buildings are located there.
What the House Looks Like
The Hawley House is a two-and-a-half-story building. It has a pointed roof, called a gable roof. The house is made from local stone. Its walls are very thick, about 2 feet (0.61 m) (or 60 centimeters) wide. The house has five sections across the front and three sections deep. It has a main hallway in the center. A three-story tower was added to the northeast corner around 1900.
A Look Back in Time
Gideon Hawley built this house around 1790. He was one of the first people to settle in Ferrisburgh. Back then, there were no roads in the area. Moving goods and people across the lake was very important. Hawley started a ferry service across Lake Champlain around that time. His ferry ran until about 1830.
By 1830, roads had been built. Much of the travel and trade then moved to these new roads. Lake traffic also changed, mostly moving north and south. Macdonough Point was an important meeting spot for soldiers during the War of 1812. This was before the big Battle of Plattsburgh.
For many years, the building was used as a farmhouse by local families. Around 1924, it became a summer camp for girls called Ecole Champlain. In the 1970s, the state bought the property. This land then became the main part of the state park.
