Thomas Cole House
|
Thomas Cole House
|
|
Thomas Cole House in 2007
|
|
 
|
|
| Location | 218 Spring Street, Catskill, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°13′33″N 73°51′43″W / 42.22583°N 73.86194°WCoordinates: 42°13′33″N 73°51′43″W / 42.22583°N 73.86194°W |
| Area | 3.5 acres (1.4 ha) |
| Built | 1812 |
| Website | Thomas Cole National Historic Site |
| NRHP Reference # | 66000522 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | June 23, 1965 |
| Designated NHS | December 9, 1999 |
The Thomas Cole House, also known as Cedar Grove or the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, is a National Historic Landmark that includes the home and the studio of painter Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School of American painting. It is located at 218 Spring Street, Catskill, NY, United States. The site provided Thomas Cole with a residence and studio from 1833 through his death in 1848.
The property was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965. It was declared a National Historic Site in 1999.
In 1684, Gysbert uyt den Bogaert purchased about 460 acres (190 ha) of land from Native Americans, an area at the mouth of Catskill Creek that was bounded on the east by the Hudson River. After the death of his last descendent the land was subsequently divided and sold by a speculator in the middle of the 18th century. The land was further subdivided during the Revolutionary War, but the development of the area (including the foundations of the town of Catskill) only began in the mid-1790s when growth is described in historical sources as “very rapid.”
One of the first landowners was Dr. Thomas Thomson (1750–1805), who arrived in 1787 to practice medicine, speculate in land, and live with his family. After his death and the return of his son Thomas T. Thomson from South America in 1815, the doctor and his family purchased and leased neighboring lots until their property encompassed 155 acres (0.63 km2) at its apex. During this period, the family built a Federal-style house as their primary residence, finishing construction in 1816. The first documented references to the property as ‘Cedar Grove’ date to this time.
In 1821, Thomas T. Thomson died. His brother John A. Thomson, known familiarly as “Uncle Sandy,” assumed duties as head of the household. The Cedar Grove property was a working farm, with oxen, cows, beef cattle, hogs, and one horse. Barley, oats, corn, and hay were cultivated, though orchards produced the primary cash crop of the farm. A large extended family lived with Uncle Sandy, including four of his orphaned nieces.
...
Wikipedia