Somers Hamlet Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Somers Hamlet Historic District
|
|
Houses along Route 202, 2008
|
|
 Location in New York
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Somers, NY |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Danbury, CT |
| Area | 56 acres (22.4 ha) |
| Built | early, mid-19th century |
| Architectural style | Federal, later Revival styles |
| NRHP reference No. | 04000349 |
| Added to NRHP | 2004 |
The Somers Hamlet Historic District is a special area in Somers, New York. It's a place where many old buildings and sites have been kept safe because they are important to history. This district is found along US 202, a main road, and includes parts of NY 100 and NY 116. It also covers two smaller streets, Deans Bridge Road and The Lane. The whole area is about 56 acres, which is like 42 football fields!
Out of 57 buildings and sites in the district, 46 are considered "contributing properties." This means they add to the historical importance of the area. Many of these buildings were built in the early 1800s. Back then, Somers was a busy spot where two important roads, the Croton Turnpike (now NY 100) and the Peekskill-Danbury Turnpike (now US 202), met. Even though the area around Somers has grown with more modern buildings, this district still looks much like it did long ago. It shows how building styles from New England came to New York.
The Elephant Hotel: A Circus Story
The most famous building in the district is the Elephant Hotel. You can find it where NY 100 and US 202 meet. This building is very important for a few reasons. It serves as Somers' Town Hall, where local government works. It also houses the offices for the local historical society and the American Circus Historical Society.
The Elephant Hotel is famous because it's known as the birthplace of the circus in the United States! It was built in 1825 by a man named Hachaliah Bailey. About ten years before that, Bailey brought an African elephant named Old Bet to the U.S. He first wanted Old Bet to help with farm work. But he soon found he could make more money by letting people pay to see her. This idea grew into a traveling show with other animals and performers. This show eventually became part of the famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The Elephant Hotel itself is a great example of the Federal style of architecture.
Other Historic Buildings
Many other old buildings in the district were once homes. They were often made of wood. You can also find old barns and other small buildings that supported businesses. For example, there were blacksmith shops that were busy helping travelers on the turnpikes.
Near the eastern end of the district on NY 116, you can see two houses built in the "Shingle style." These houses show when the area started to become more suburban in the late 1800s. The people who owned these homes were rich enough to hire architects to design their houses. This was different from earlier times when people often built homes using simpler, local styles. The district also includes two old cemeteries.
Protecting History
The Elephant Hotel was first recognized as a historic place in 1974. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which is a list of important historical sites in the U.S. Thirty years later, in 2004, the entire Somers Hamlet Historic District was created and added to this list. The very next year, in 2005, the Elephant Hotel received an even higher honor: it was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's considered one of the most important historic places in the whole country.
