Woodruff House (Cornwall, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Woodruff House
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East elevation, 2008
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cornwall, New York |
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| Nearest city | Newburgh |
| Built | ca. 1830 |
| MPS | Historic and Architectural Resources of Cornwall |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000156 |
| Added to NRHP | 1996 |
The Woodruff House is a historic stone building in Cornwall, New York. You can find it on NY 32, not far from Vails Gate. This small house was built a long time ago, in the early 1800s.
It's special because it's one of the few stone houses left from that time in Cornwall. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. This list helps protect important places in the United States.
What the House Looks Like
The Woodruff House sits on the west side of Route 32. It's quite close to the road. Two big Norway spruce trees stand in front, hiding it a bit from the busy highway. Around the house, you'll see open fields, some shops, and other homes. If you look to the west, you can see Schunemunk Mountain, which is the tallest mountain in Orange County.
Outside the House
The main part of the house is one and a half stories tall. It has three sections on the front. The walls are made of fieldstone, which are stones found in fields. On the front side, the stones are laid in neat rows. The corners of the house have larger stones that look like decorative blocks.
The roof is flat on the ends and covered with cedar shakes. It has two small windows called dormer windows that stick out from the roof. There's also a stone chimney. A small porch with a pointed roof covers the front door.
Inside the House
When you go inside, you enter a hallway. This hall leads to the living and dining rooms. Many parts of the inside are still original. The floors are made of wide wooden boards. You can see the hand-cut wooden beams on the ceiling. There are also two fireplaces with fancy Federal style decorations and marble around them.
In the basement, you can still see where an old Dutch oven used to be. A newer part was added to the back of the house. This part holds a modern kitchen.
A garage made of wood is located north of the house. It's a newer building and not considered part of the historic house itself.
History of the Woodruff House
The first time the Woodruff House was mentioned in records was in 1856. That's when Benjamin Woodruff sold it to Patrick McGonigal. However, tax records from Orange County, New York, show the house was actually built much earlier, around 1790. The road that is now Route 32 was already there back then.
This house is important because it's one of the few small houses, and one of the only stone houses, left in Cornwall from the late 1700s. The back part of the house was added in the 1900s. Other than that, the house hasn't changed much over the years.
When Patrick McGonigal passed away in 1868, he left the house to his wife, Roseanne. The Woodruff House has been a private home ever since.
