Tousley-Church House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Tousley-Church House
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West (front) elevation, 2010
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Albion, NY |
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| Nearest city | Batavia |
| Area | 0.8 acres (3,200 m2) |
| Built | 1840 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 01001565 |
| Added to NRHP | February 5, 2002 |
The Tousley-Church House is a historic brick house located in Albion, New York. It was built in the mid-1800s in the Greek Revival style. This style was very popular back then.
The house shows the strong influence of Minard Lafever, a famous architect of that time, even though we don't know who designed this specific house. For many years, it was owned by the family of Sanford E. Church, a local politician who became well-known across New York State. Since 1930, the house has been the main meeting place for the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In 2002, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site.
Contents
Exploring the Tousley-Church House
The Tousley-Church House sits on a large lot in Albion, north of the Erie Canal. The area around it is mostly homes built in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Big trees in the front yard offer lots of shade. A stone path leads from the street to the main entrance. There's also a parking area in the back.
Outside the House
The house has three main parts. The largest part is the main block, made of brick. It has a low, flat roof with four chimneys. The brick walls are built in a common pattern. Below the roof, there's a wide wooden band with decorative teeth-like shapes. The windows have stone sills and black wooden shutters.
The main entrance is covered by a small porch supported by two tall, fluted columns. These columns have decorative tops, like those seen in ancient Greek buildings. The porch roof has fancy carvings and decorations.
Next to the main block is a smaller, one-story brick section called the south wing. It has similar details but is less decorated. A porch runs along its front, supported by simpler columns.
At the back of the house is a wooden section. It has a different type of roof and smaller windows.
Inside the House
When you enter the main door, which has decorative glass panels above and beside it, you step into a grand entrance hall. A beautiful staircase with carved details leads upstairs. The newel post, which is the main post at the bottom of the stairs, is carved with leaf patterns.
The entrance hall windows have wide, decorative frames. A large, round plaster decoration on the ceiling holds a light fixture. At the back of this hall, there used to be a bedroom. It has a fireplace with a black marble mantel.
South of the entrance hall is a very large room with high ceilings. This room is highly decorated. The door and window frames are more detailed than those in the entrance hall. They have rows of small flower-like designs. The fireplace in this room also has a black marble mantel with similar flower patterns. Three more decorative lights hang from the ceiling. Upstairs, there are three large rooms with sloped ceilings, following the shape of the roof.
A double door connects to another large room in the south wing. This room has a lower ceiling and simpler decorations. It has a fireplace with exposed brick.
The back part of the house, the east wing, holds the kitchen and a woodshed. The kitchen has lower ceilings and rough plaster walls. On one wall, there's an old cooking fireplace and a baking oven from the early 1800s. The woodshed, which is now part of the house, has a dirt floor and is a bit lower than the kitchen.
A Look Back in Time
The Tousley-Church House has a rich history!
Early Beginnings (1840s)
Around 1840, a man named John Lee built the parts of the house that are now the south and rear wings. He moved to Albion because of the business chances offered by the Erie Canal. You can still see parts of his original house, like the kitchen fireplace, which show a mix of older and newer styles. In 1848, John Lee sold the house to Orson Tousley.
Orson Tousley was a businessman who bought and sold land. He also helped with big projects like widening the canal and building early railroads. He held several public jobs in his town before buying the house.
Tousley's Grand Renovation (1850s)
In the next ten years, Orson Tousley made the house much bigger and more fancy. He added the large main block we see today. The original main part of the house became the south wing, and its roof was changed to match the new, larger section. Like many wealthy people of his time, Tousley loved the new Greek Revival style. His changes, with all their detailed decorations, were likely inspired by the famous architect Minard Lafever and his design books.
The Church Family Era (1860s-1920s)
Orson Tousley passed away in 1863, leaving the house to his young daughter, Florence. A few years later, she married George Church. George was the son of Sanford E. Church, who was a very important politician. Sanford E. Church had been the lieutenant governor and the head judge of New York's highest court. George Church also worked for the state government. The only big change the Church family made to the house was adding a projecting bay window to the south wing around 1870.
Florence Church lived a long life. She was one of the first members of the local Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) chapter, which started in 1925. She even led the chapter for a while. After she died, she left the house to her son, Sanford T. Church, who was a judge. In 1929, he and his wife sold the house to Emma Reed Webster. They asked that the extra money from the sale be given to the Orleans DAR and the local historical society to start a special fund in the Church family's name.
The DAR Takes Over (1930s-Present)
Just two months later, Emma Reed Webster, who was not a DAR member, gave the house to the Daughters of the American Revolution. She paid to make it suitable for their meetings. This included adding central heating and carpet, removing old sheds, and combining some rooms into larger meeting spaces. She also gave them furniture and kitchen appliances. When she passed away, she left the chapter more money. Since then, the house has remained the local DAR chapter's building, with no major changes.
