The Hitory of Chrystie House on Three Maps
The Historic facts of Chrystie House on
1778 military map
Collection of Cornell University Library
The
1778 military map entitled "Hudson through the Highlands" was produced by Captain Thomas Manchin, the army engineer responsible for constructing the defense line along the Hudson. The top of the map shows the town of the Fish Kill, mainly the hamlet of DePeyster's Point, which is today's riverfront area in Beacon, New York. In 1743 Abraham DePeyster Jr. (1693-1767) bought 200 acres, additional to the previous 1738 purchase of 100 acres, from his aunt Catheryna Rombout Brett (1687-1764) and established the hamlet. The map shows the Chrystie House as the DePeyster House in its original location before its 1927 relocation.
The legendary Madam Brett was the first developer of Southern Dutchess County. In 1708, the Rombout Patent(established in 1685) was partitioned among Francis Rombout, Stephanus Van Cortlandt, and Jacobus Kip/Gilian Verplanck estate. Madam Brett inherited one-third of 85,000 acres from her father, Francis Rombout (1631-1691), a Belgian who immigrated to New Amsterdam and became the 12th mayor of New York City. In 1713, Queen Ann allowed the Dutchess County government to be formed; in 1738, the Rombout Precinct was established.
Abraham DePeyster Jr. was the son of Abraham DePeyster (1657-1728), one of the wealthiest merchants of West Indies trades, the life-termed treasurer of the New York Colony, the Mayor of New York City and the Governor of New York. Abraham DePeyster's brother, Isaac, married Maria Van Baal, Madam Brett's stepsister and a sponsor. Three of Abraham DePeyster's four children married the heirs or relatives of the Rombout Patent holders; his eldest daughter, Catherine, married Philip Van Cortlandt, son of Stephanus Van Cortlandt and Gertruj Schuyler, who was the sister of Pieter and Johannes Schuyler. Pieter Schuyler was a governor of New York and the first mayor of Albany; Johannes was the 10th Mayor of Albany and was the father of the Revolutionary War General Philip Schuyler(1733-1804), who became Alexander Hamilton’s father-in-law in 1780. Abraham DePeyster Jr. married Margaret Van Cortlandt, the niece of Stephanus Van Cortlandt. Their heir Jacobus and his four sons were loyalists during the Revolutionary War. In 1778 the Revolutionary Army took control of DePeyster's Point and turned it into a military supply depot.
1778 military map entitled "Hudson through the Highlands" was produced by Captain Thomas Manchin, the army engineer responsible for constructing the defense line along the Hudson. The top of the map shows the town of the Fish Kill, mainly the hamlet of DePeyster's Point, which is today's riverfront area in Beacon, New York. In 1743 Abraham DePeyster Jr. (1693-1767) bought 200 acres, additional to the previous 1738 purchase of 100 acres, from his aunt Catheryna Rombout Brett (1687-1764) and established the hamlet. The map shows the Chrystie House as the DePeyster House in its original location before its 1927 relocation.
The legendary Madam Brett was the first developer of Southern Dutchess County. In 1708, the Rombout Patent(established in 1685) was partitioned among Francis Rombout, Stephanus Van Cortlandt, and Jacobus Kip/Gilian Verplanck estate. Madam Brett inherited one-third of 85,000 acres from her father, Francis Rombout (1631-1691), a Belgian who immigrated to New Amsterdam and became the 12th mayor of New York City. In 1713, Queen Ann allowed the Dutchess County government to be formed; in 1738, the Rombout Precinct was established.
Abraham DePeyster Jr. was the son of Abraham DePeyster (1657-1728), one of the wealthiest merchants of West Indies trades, the life-termed treasurer of the New York Colony, the Mayor of New York City and the Governor of New York. Abraham DePeyster's brother, Isaac, married Maria Van Baal, Madam Brett's stepsister and a sponsor. Three of Abraham DePeyster's four children married the heirs or relatives of the Rombout Patent holders; his eldest daughter, Catherine, married Philip Van Cortlandt, son of Stephanus Van Cortlandt and Gertruj Schuyler, who was the sister of Pieter and Johannes Schuyler. Pieter Schuyler was a governor of New York and the first mayor of Albany; Johannes was the 10th Mayor of Albany and was the father of the Revolutionary War General Philip Schuyler(1733-1804), who became Alexander Hamilton’s father-in-law in 1780. Abraham DePeyster Jr. married Margaret Van Cortlandt, the niece of Stephanus Van Cortlandt. Their heir Jacobus and his four sons were loyalists during the Revolutionary War. In 1778 the Revolutionary Army took control of DePeyster's Point and turned it into a military supply depot.
1
Upper Landing, one of the three ferry and freight docks in Fishkill on Hudson. In 1743 the Colden Charter was established to regulate the ferry rights among New Windsor, Newburgh and Fishkill on Hudson.
2
Lower Landing. In 1781, Hamilton had asked for a small boat handled by two people when he arrived in DePeyster’s Point depot station, the boat was to be used by him and Elizabeth, his wife, to enjoy the river. The dock of Lower Landing was within walking distance from DePeyster house, where the newly wedded couple stayed.
3
The road connected Lower Landing to Upper Landing. The DePeyster’s property surrounded both Upper and Lower Landing, the DePeysters and later owners granted the right of the way to the roads connected the docks and the main roads.
4
Wiltsie house. Martyn Wiltsie who built the house was one of the earliest settlers brought to Fish Kill by Madam Brett, his son Cornelis Wiltsie was one of the signing partners of Frankford Store House. The Wiltsie family and the Brett family had been the major operators of both Frankford Store House and the ferry/freighting business until around 1833. The person operating the lower Landing in 1778 was Martin Wiltsie, the son of Cornelis Wiltsie.
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DePeyster house. The later relocated Chrystie House was built by Abraham Depeyster Jr, possibly around 1756, before he rebuilt the DePeyster Mansion in Manhattan. The DePeyster Mansion became Governor George Clinton’s Mansion after British retreated from New York in 1783. Many related evidence indicated that between April and June 1782, the newly wedded Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler stayed in the DePeytster house owned byJacobus DePeyster who inherited the Abraham DePeyster estate. He was a cousin of Philip Schuyler, Elizabeth Schuyler’s father, who was an influential figure in the Continental Congress and an Army general. Philip Schuyler was a supporter and mentor for Hamilton in this period, he monitored the negotiation between Hamilton and George Washington regarding Hamilton’s request to be a field command. As the main building of a country home complex, the House was built on a prime vista point, enjoyed three sides of the river view, one side of mountain view. The location went down 60 feet by the excavation done by Denning's Point Brick Work in 1927. Like "DePeyster's Point," the term "DePeyster House" disappeared from history books because the DePeyster family had become Loyalists during Revolutionary War.
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The Hudson River was chained between Plum Point and Pollepel Island, both sides of the opened water way between the Island and shore line were heavily fortified.
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Frankford Store House/wharf, in 1743 Madam Brett organized the local millers, farmers and manufacturers and established Frankford Store House, the first cooperation in Southern Dutchess County. The cooperation worked for Continental Army under the contracts during the Revolutionary War.
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Frankford Store House/wharf. This was where the river freighting business began.
9
Fish Kill gun posts. Had any British ships from south made it through the Pollepel Island would face the heavy artillery fire shot from the gun posts set up around Frankford Store House.
10
Mr. Schenck house. Major Henry Schenck was Assistant Commissary General in charge of food supply for Washington’s Army in DePeyster Point, he married Madam Brett’s granddaughter, Hannah Brett and was the owner of the Madam Brett Mill. Madam Brett built the house near the mill for her stepsister who married to Abraham DePeyster Jr.’s uncle Issac DePeyster. The house was part of Abraham Depeyster Jr’s purchase in 1743. The house was on 1934 National Park historic house survey, named “Abraham DePester House” and was incorrectly dated "around 1743”. The house was destroyed in 1954.
The historic facts of Chrystie House on 1867 map
Published by Fishkill Standard
The
New York State seized all the DePeyster's properties in Fish Kill in 1789 and sold 2/3 of the 300 acres to Gulian Verplanck(1751-1799), the great-grandson of one of the three original Rombout Patent holders. The other 100 acres were sold to John Peter DeWindt (1787-1870), the wealthy merchant of West Indies trades, who owned many properties in Dutchess County. He married the granddaughter of John Adams, and later became the father-in-law of legendary landscape architect Andrew Jackson Downing. Both Verplanck and DeWindt were strong allies of Alexander Hamilton.
In 1820, Gulian Verplanck’s son-in-law, William Allen, who owned 200 acres of the previous DePeyster’s land, sold 99 acres to William Few, a military leader in Georgia during Revolutionary War, a US Constitution cosigner, and was the Commissioner of Federal Loans under president Jefferson and Madison. In NYC, He founded Manhattan Bank, and New York Eye Infirmary. William Few deeded the estate to his son-in-law Albert Chrystie and used it as a country retreat until his death in 1828. Albert Chrystie subdivided the property in 1833, sold the House and 49 75/100 acres to Harriet Gill, wife of Robert Gill and her son Dr. James Sykes Rumsey. Robert Gill (1768-1838) was a New York City lawyer who was commissioned to handled the six thousand plus acres estate of Daniel Crommelin Verplanck(1762–1834), the nephew of Gulian Verplanck and the largest land owner in Dutchess County.
In 1841, Andrew Jackson Downing brought his good friend Henry Winthrop Sargent to Fish Kill, established Wodenethe Garden, and started a campaign to make Newburgh and Fish Kill riverfront a "Lake Como in America." In 1864, the owners of the Fishkill Landing tried to protect their neighborhoods against the relentless industrialization and established the first incorporated village in the town of Fish Kill. Their efforts were defeated in just three years. The following map published by Fishkill Standard in 1867 recorded how the transformation started.
New York State seized all the DePeyster's properties in Fish Kill in 1789 and sold 2/3 of the 300 acres to Gulian Verplanck(1751-1799), the great-grandson of one of the three original Rombout Patent holders. The other 100 acres were sold to John Peter DeWindt (1787-1870), the wealthy merchant of West Indies trades, who owned many properties in Dutchess County. He married the granddaughter of John Adams, and later became the father-in-law of legendary landscape architect Andrew Jackson Downing. Both Verplanck and DeWindt were strong allies of Alexander Hamilton.
In 1820, Gulian Verplanck’s son-in-law, William Allen, who owned 200 acres of the previous DePeyster’s land, sold 99 acres to William Few, a military leader in Georgia during Revolutionary War, a US Constitution cosigner, and was the Commissioner of Federal Loans under president Jefferson and Madison. In NYC, He founded Manhattan Bank, and New York Eye Infirmary. William Few deeded the estate to his son-in-law Albert Chrystie and used it as a country retreat until his death in 1828. Albert Chrystie subdivided the property in 1833, sold the House and 49 75/100 acres to Harriet Gill, wife of Robert Gill and her son Dr. James Sykes Rumsey. Robert Gill (1768-1838) was a New York City lawyer who was commissioned to handled the six thousand plus acres estate of Daniel Crommelin Verplanck(1762–1834), the nephew of Gulian Verplanck and the largest land owner in Dutchess County.
In 1841, Andrew Jackson Downing brought his good friend Henry Winthrop Sargent to Fish Kill, established Wodenethe Garden, and started a campaign to make Newburgh and Fish Kill riverfront a "Lake Como in America." In 1864, the owners of the Fishkill Landing tried to protect their neighborhoods against the relentless industrialization and established the first incorporated village in the town of Fish Kill. Their efforts were defeated in just three years. The following map published by Fishkill Standard in 1867 recorded how the transformation started.
1
The original 300 acres DePeyster’s point estate was forfeited by New York State in 1789, from Abraham DePeyster Estate and Jacobus DePeyster. NY State sold 200 acres to Gulian Verplank in 1795, Verplank Estate sold the property to William Allen in1803, Allen sold 100 acres and the house to William Few/Albert Chrystie in1820. Albert Chrystie sold 50 acres and the house complex to Dr.James Sykes Rumsey and his mother in 1833.
2
After Civil War, the Boston, Hartford & Erie Railway Company used the Imminent Domain Law to procure the land deals on the waterfront properties. On this 1867 map, a large part of Dr. Rumsey’s property had been taken by B.H.& E.R.C..
3
The original Jacobus DePeyste property was sold by William Allen back to Gulian Verplanck Estate, later in 1823 was purchased by William Denning and renamed as Denning’s Point. The Denning family were offered a mortgage deal that would cost them the whole Denning’s Point in1872. The last person of Denning family left the point in 1889, when the whole point had been excavated.
4
Dr. Rumsey took over Chrystie House in 1833, he died in 1872, when the whole riverfront was bought by Homer Ramsdell. The historic house later were used by B.H.& E.R.C and Denning’s Point Brick Work as the living quarters for their employees. The house was rescued and relocated in1927.
5
The original gatehouse of the DePeyster country home complex, later the gatehouse of Chrystie Estate and Dr. Rumsey Estate. The house and the two stone pillars of the original gate are still standing in 2022.
6
The Rosenethe Estate, established 1842 by Ann Marsh Rankin, greately improved by Charles Wolcott and Henry Winthrop Sargent in 1856. The mansion designed by Richard Morris Hunt was destroyed in 1992 by arson.
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Dr. De LaMontagne Cottage, designed by Calvert Vaux, built in 1853. It was largely extended by Dr. C.J. Slocum in 1927, stands in 2022.
8
The Van Buren house. Smith Thomson Van Buren was the son and the secretary of the eighth president, owned a large estate in Fishkill Landing, he married Henrietta Irving, the niece of Washington Irving in 1855. This house, was the original Frankford Store House, established in 1743, later destroyed.
9
The 25-acres Wodenethe Estate, established 1841 by Henry Winthrop Sargent, the famous garden had been contributed by legendary Andrew Jackson Downing. The great mansion designed by Calvert Vaux was built in 1853. The property was annexed by Graig House Sanitarium in 1919. Dr. CJ Slocum relocated Chrystie House into Wodenethe in 1927. The mansion and 20 acres of garden was destroyed in 1953, gave way to a 20-houses development.
10
Between 1870 to 1872, Homer Ramsdell leaded the board of B.H. & E.R. C. to grab all the riverfront properties, he bankrupted the company, then personally bought all the properties with very low bit. After the plan to make his properties the one of largest train/ferry hubs in the Northeast failed, Ramsdell turned the land into one of the largest brickyards in the region. Denning’s Point Brick Work started in1881.
The historic facts of Chrystie House on 2021 google map
Google map
The
Beacon riverfront on the 2022 Google map looks similar to the map published by Fish Kill Standard in1867, but in reality, they are very different. The Denning's Point Brick Work in Beacon ran its course between 1881 and 1939; a large area between Hudson River and South Avenue, including Denning's Point, was reduced by 50-60 feet. All the historic houses and gardens in the excavated area were destroyed, except, in 1927, the Chrystie House was rescued and relocated into the Wodenethe Garden by the owner of Craig House Sanitarium, Dr. Clarence Johnathan Slocum. The Wodenethe and the Tioronda, two garden estates with the grounds designed by Henry Winthrop Sargent, had been annexed into 365-acres Craig House in 1919.
Beacon was incorporated as a city in 1913, amalgamating the battered scenic Fishkill Landing and industrial village Matteawan. Some impressive industrial buildings were built on the riverfront, such as the Nabisco packaging printing factory, today's Dia Beacon, built in 1929. The city went on an anti-historical path, even before the urban renewal in the 1960s. The house Madam Brett built for Maria DePeyster was destroyed for a factory expanding in 1954; the Wodenethe Mansion and garden, one of the birthplace for American landscape architecture, was destroyed and became a 20 houses development in 1953. The Chrystie House, with subdivided 4 acres of ground, was preserved. The historical mansion of neighboring Rosenethe, another garden estate designed by Henry Winthrop Sargent, was destroyed by arson in 1992. Before the Dia museum opened in 2003, Beacon suffered 30 years of depression because it lost its scenic, historical identity as a Hudson River town when industrialization was the only vision that dominated city planning. By 2021, the city celebrated an impressive comeback when it embraced the New York City-style artistic/commercialization. Still, the future of Beacon depends on the leading visions of itself in a post-globalization world.
Beacon riverfront on the 2022 Google map looks similar to the map published by Fish Kill Standard in1867, but in reality, they are very different. The Denning's Point Brick Work in Beacon ran its course between 1881 and 1939; a large area between Hudson River and South Avenue, including Denning's Point, was reduced by 50-60 feet. All the historic houses and gardens in the excavated area were destroyed, except, in 1927, the Chrystie House was rescued and relocated into the Wodenethe Garden by the owner of Craig House Sanitarium, Dr. Clarence Johnathan Slocum. The Wodenethe and the Tioronda, two garden estates with the grounds designed by Henry Winthrop Sargent, had been annexed into 365-acres Craig House in 1919.
Beacon was incorporated as a city in 1913, amalgamating the battered scenic Fishkill Landing and industrial village Matteawan. Some impressive industrial buildings were built on the riverfront, such as the Nabisco packaging printing factory, today's Dia Beacon, built in 1929. The city went on an anti-historical path, even before the urban renewal in the 1960s. The house Madam Brett built for Maria DePeyster was destroyed for a factory expanding in 1954; the Wodenethe Mansion and garden, one of the birthplace for American landscape architecture, was destroyed and became a 20 houses development in 1953. The Chrystie House, with subdivided 4 acres of ground, was preserved. The historical mansion of neighboring Rosenethe, another garden estate designed by Henry Winthrop Sargent, was destroyed by arson in 1992. Before the Dia museum opened in 2003, Beacon suffered 30 years of depression because it lost its scenic, historical identity as a Hudson River town when industrialization was the only vision that dominated city planning. By 2021, the city celebrated an impressive comeback when it embraced the New York City-style artistic/commercialization. Still, the future of Beacon depends on the leading visions of itself in a post-globalization world.
1
The Beacon waterfront had been changed drastically by the works done by the Denning’s Point Brick Work between 1881 and 1939. The areas marked with darker green are the grounds created by the excavated material, the areas marked with darker blue were the lands preexisted the massive excavations done for the sand and the clay.
2
The original location of Chrystie House was in the Denning’s Point State Park parking lot today. The original ground was about 60’higher, which provided more than 180 degrees views of Newburgh Bay.
3
The area marked with yellow green was the site of the previous 25 acres Wodenethe Garden estate, one of the birthplaces of American landscape architecture. It was established by Henry Winthrop Sargent, a Bostonian became close friend of local legend Andrew Jackson Downing, together they nurtured Calvert Vaux, who later designed the great mansion of Wodenethe, and developed the Greensward Plan for Central Park in Manhattan.
4
In 1927 the Historic Chrystie House was relocated into the Wodenethe Garden, It was a joint effort between David Strickland, the president of D.P.B.W., and Dr. Clarence Johnathan Slocum, the owner of the then 365-acres Craig House Sanitarium, who had annexed Wodenethe estate into Craig House in 1919. The relocated House had become Dr. Slocum’s residence. In 1954, the Wodenethe mansion and garden was sold and destroyed to give way to a 20-houses development. The Chrystie House, the southern gatehouse and five acres ground were preserved, it was sub divided into 4 lots. The House was fully restored between 2007 and 2011.
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The southern gatehouse of Wodenethe estate, designed by Calverx Vaux, built in 1841.
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The remaining gatehouse of Chrystie House complex, built around mid 18th century.
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The area marked with grey was the Rosenethe Estate, established 1842 by Ann Marsh Rankin, greatly improved by Charles Wolcott and Henry Winthrop Sargent in 1856. It was Totally destroyed in 1992.
8
The location of 1743 Frankford Store House, the first corporation in southern Dutchess County, established by Madam Brett in 1743.
9
The location of the destroyed Madam Brett Mill. It was built next to the water fall in the Madam Brett Park. In contrast to the "upper" waterfall in the East-Main Street area, it was called "Lower Mill" historically.
10
In the corner of the abandoned huge factory building, facing the parking lot of Madam Brett Park, once stood the house Madam Brett built for her stepsister Maria Van Baal, who was an investor for the gristmill Madam Brett built and operated next to the waterfall nearby. Maria’s husband was Isaac DePeyster, an uncle of Abramham DePeyster Jr. who in 1738 and 1743 bought altogether 300 acres from Madam Brett and established the hamlet of DePeyster’s Point. The house was part of the 1934 National Park Historic House Survey, labeled as the Abraham DePeyster House, the same house was labeled as “Mr, Scanks” house on 1778 Thomas Machin Map. It was destroyed in 1954.