Tabor-Wing House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Tabor-Wing House
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West elevation, 2008
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Dover Plains, NY |
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| Nearest city | Poughkeepsie, New York |
| Area | 0.5 acres (2,000 m2) |
| Built | ca. 1810 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003355 |
| Added to NRHP | 1982 |
The Tabor-Wing House is a historic building in Dover Plains, New York. It was built around 1810. This old house was constructed by a very important family in the area. It still looks much like it did when it was first built.
The house has a lot of fancy decorations. This is quite unusual for a building from the Federal period. Because of its unique look and its role in local history, the Tabor-Wing House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. From 1979 to 2003, it was even home to the Dover Plains Library!
After the library moved, the Dover Historical Society gave the building to the Town of Dover. The town then worked to fix it up, finishing the restoration in 2006. Today, the Tabor-Wing House is used for some local government offices. It also serves as a museum to teach people about the area's history.
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Exploring the Tabor-Wing House
The Tabor-Wing House sits on a small, triangular piece of land. It is located where two roads meet: NY 22 and North Nellie Hill Road. The main part of the house has two stories and five sections, called bays. There is also a smaller section, or wing, attached to it. Both parts of the house have a strong stone basement.
The main house is covered with wooden boards called clapboard. The smaller wing uses flat boards. The roofs are gently sloped and covered with asphalt shingles. There are chimneys at each end of the house.
Outside the House: Fancy Details
The front of the house, facing west, is very decorated. A small porch with a triangular roof covers the main entrance. Above the door, there's a special window with leaded glass. On either side of the door, there are tall, grooved columns called pilasters. These columns go up to a fancy border with small blocks.
Above the main entrance, you'll see a beautiful three-part window. This is known as a Palladian window. The other windows on the house have similar fancy trim. Even the rounded windows in the attic on the north and south sides match this style. The smaller kitchen wing, however, has no decorations. Its roof also covers a porch on the south side.
Inside the House: Original Charm
When you step inside, a hallway separates two large rooms called parlors. These rooms still have many of their original features. You can see carved wood moldings and fancy fireplace mantels. The walls and ceilings still have their original plaster. Even the floors are the same as when the house was built. The kitchen wing still has its original fireplace and a special oven for baking.
Why the House Looks Unique
The decorations on the Tabor-Wing House are quite special. They are more detailed than what you usually see on Federal-style homes. This is true even for houses in the Hudson Valley area. But the overall shape of the house fits well with how buildings were typically made back then. These details show what the builders hoped for and liked at that time.
In 1937, an expert named Wakefield Worcester visited the house. He wondered if the builder might have been a cabinetmaker. This was because of all the detailed work on the outside. He found it interesting that the inside of the house was much simpler.
History of the Tabor-Wing House
Thomas Tabor built this house. He came to the area that would become Dover as a young boy in 1748. At that time, not many European settlers lived there. When his father passed away in 1782, Thomas inherited his land. This land included all of what is now Dover Plains.
Thomas built the house around 1810, soon after the town was officially created. He then left the house to his daughter, Sally. Sally was married to Mahlon Wing. Mahlon was another important landowner in the area. The town of Wingdale is even named after his family.
The Wing family lived in the house for over 75 years. They stayed there from 1839 until 1926. In 1928, the house was sold to Frank and Mae Connell. Soon after, modern oil heating was put in. In May 1977, the Dover Historical Society bought the house. They made many improvements before it became the local library.
In 2003, the library moved to a bigger building. The Historical Society then gave the house to the town. The town started fixing up the inside, making it look like it did originally. They also added furniture from that time period. After finishing these repairs in 2006, the town moved some of its offices into the historic building.
