The Southworth Homestead
Welcome to Dryden! The first stop on this tour is the Southworth Homestead, located at 14 North Street. This house, one of the village’s earliest residences, was first owned by John Southworth (1796-1863). John was ten years old when he came to Dryden with his father, Thomas Southworth, in 1806. John established himself as a community leader in Dryden, managing a number of businesses including a 50-acre farm, a store, and several land holdings. By 1836, he had acquired enough wealth to build his brick home on North Street. The homestead site is near the intersection of North Street and Main Street, the original crossroads of the village, also known as the “Four Corners.” The architectural features of the house reflect the transition from the Federal to Greek Revival style that defined design tastes of the first three decades of the 19th century. It is believed that the smaller wood-frame portion of the house predates the brick structure. Some of the original glass window panes, which can be identified by their wavy appearance, have been preserved. Upon the death of the last Southworth descendant, the homestead was bequeathed to the Dryden Town Historical Society. The Southworth Homestead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historical society offers regular tours of the homestead on the first Saturday of the month between May and October. Guided tours can also be arranged by appointment by calling (607) 844-4691.LISTEN HERE
Dryden United Methodist Church
Located at the northeast corner of North Street and East Main Street is the Dryden United Methodist Church. With its position at the historic crossroads, this church has been an important Dryden landmark since its completion. The local Methodist congregation was established on this site in 1816. By the 1830s, the group had grown to a size that warranted a permanent meeting space. The original structure, constructed in 1832, burned to the ground in 1873 while undergoing repairs. Henry H. Moore of Ithaca was chosen to build the replacement. Designed in the Romanesque Revival style, the "new" church features a façade flanked on each side by towers of asymmetrical heights, widths, and roofing treatments. A large rose window punctuates the central bay. The Dryden Methodist Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.LISTEN HERE
The Old McGraw Store
Located at 2 East Main Street is a modest brick building, now painted white, constructed for Joseph McGraw Jr. (1812-1892) in 1840. McGraw was the son of early Irish immigrants to the region and was raised in the Irish settlement of the Dryden township. From this convenient location on the southeast corner of the crossroads, McGraw operated his mercantile business for several years. The shop was purchased by Cyrus French in 1860, thenceforth serving as the home of French Brothers Furniture until the 1890s. The building was then used as a hardware store for the first part of the twentieth century. The exterior features many Federal-style architectural details, such as the elliptical motif beneath the gable on the north façade. This building is one of the only brick-masonry commercial structures in downtown Dryden. The Old McGraw store at 2 East Main Street is a contributing structure of the Village of Dryden National Historic District.LISTEN HERE
Luther Clarke House
Located at 39 West Main Street is the Luther Clarke House. This Federal-style residence was initially constructed sometime between 1820 and 1830, making it one of the oldest surviving homes in the village. The land upon which it is situated was originally part of a military land grant given to Walter Lawrence during the 1780s and claimed by John Lawrence in 1785. The property had been subdivided and sold by the 1820s. The house was purchased by Luther Clarke, a Methodist Church minister, in 1835. Several other notable Dryden residents would later reside here, including Colonel Lewis Barton, the third President of Dryden, George Washborne, the eleventh President of Dryden, and Cyrus French, owner of French Brothers Furniture at the Old Brick Store. One of the finest examples of vernacular Federal-style architecture in the village, the Luther Clarke House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.LISTEN HERE
Lacy-Van Vleet House
Located at 49 West Main Street is the Lacy-Van Vleet House, which now serves as the Candlelight Inn Bed & Breakfast. The construction of this handsome residence, initiated in 1828 and completed in 1845, is a symbol of Dryden’s increasing prosperity during the first half of the nineteenth century. Daniel D. Page, the original owner, was one of two physicians in the village at the time. John C. Lacy, the property’s namesake, was the most significant individual to reside here. John was born to Benjamin Lacy, a Dryden pioneer, in 1808. His father established the Lacy name within the community with the opening of the Dryden Milling Works and his discovery of the Dryden Mineral Springs. John became wealthy in his own right by working the land on the Lacy homestead with his brothers. He was elected as village president in 1862. John and his wife Isa A. White purchased this property in 1863. Their daughter Ida Belle, who married prominent local lawyer D.F. Van Vleet, inherited the family home following the death of her parents. The house has a traditional Georgian plan and overall massing with Greek Revival-style elements such as broad entablatures, wide corner pilasters, pedimented gables, and Doric porticoes at the front and side entrances. Acroteria, or architectural ornaments, decorate each of the triangular pediments. Iron hitching posts can still be found in front of the house, and a small barn building is located at the rear. The land surrounding the home originally included an apple orchard. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.LISTEN HERE
Rockwell House
Located at 52 West Main Street is the Rockwell House. This wood-frame Italianate home was built between 1860 and 1866 for Erastus Rockwell, who came to Dryden from New England and is known for building a woolen mill along Virgil Creek. Respected carpenter-builder Darius Givens is credited with the construction of this house. The wide overhanging eaves of the top story are supported by elaborate S-shaped brackets. A one-story porch with decorative posts and carved braces extends across the main entrance façade. Old photographs reveal that a gazebo once stood in the garden. The property also includes a nineteenth-century barn that is visible from Lewis Street. Georgiana Thomas Wood Rockwell, who subsequently lived in the house, is the great-grandmother of the current owner. The Van Sickle family branch has lived in the house since 1941. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.LISTEN HERE
Jennings-Marvin House
Located at 9 Library Street is the Jennings-Marvin House. This eclectic home was built in 1897 for Dr. Frank Jennings, a well-respected Dryden physician. Jennie Marvin purchased the property in 1904 and resided here for many years. This house is unique for its combination of Queen Anne and Colonial Revival details. Its most striking feature is a prominent octagonal tower, clad in wood shingles and punctuated by oval windows. The Jennings-Marvin House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.LISTEN HERE
Southworth Library
Located at 24 West Main Street is the Southworth Library. The last will and testament of Jennie McGraw Fiske (1840-1881) provided generous funds to establish a public library in Dryden in memory of her mother Rhoda Southworth McGraw (1819-1847) and grandfather John Southworth (1796-1877). The site was purchased in 1892, and the cornerstone was laid the following year. The library was officially opened in 1894. Built with Ohio sandstone, this Richardsonian Romanesque library was designed by Ithaca architect William H. Miller. Using a style popular for library and public buildings in the 1880s and 1890s, Miller included a bell tower and a vestibule entry facing Main Street. The original portion of the library includes two main reading rooms. The more recent Lincoln Center addition was made possible through the sale of a copy of Abraham Lincoln’s 1864 re-election speech. The library is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.LISTEN HERE
The Stone Block
Located at 8 through 10 West Main Street is the Stone Block. This stately building was constructed in 1853 for Jeremiah W. Dwight (1819-1885), one of Dryden’s most prominent residents. Dwight and his partner, Isaac P. Ferguson, operated their mercantile business, J.W. Dwight & Company, at this location. Although its façade is largely free of embellishment, the Stone Block attracts attention with its solid presence. This structure is unique within the Village of Dryden, for it is the only stone commercial building on Main Street.LISTEN HERE
Isaac P. Ferguson House
Located at 19 South Street is the Isaac P. Ferguson House, constructed in 1865. Isaac P. Ferguson was a prominent Dryden resident during the second half of the nineteenth century, serving as village clerk in 1861 and treasurer of the Dryden Agricultural Society from 1873 to 1876. Ferguson was also partner to Jeremiah W. Dwight at their merchant firm J.W. Dwight & Company. Therefore, it makes sense that the exterior of the Ferguson House exhibits many of the Italianate details found on the Dwight House, the final stop on this tour. Some of the more notable components of the design include second-story arched windows and elaborate bracketed cornices above the porch and along the roof line. The Ferguson House is a contributing structure of the Village of Dryden National Historic District.LISTEN HERE
Jeremiah W. Dwight House
Located at 12 East Main Street is the Jeremiah W. Dwight House. The Dwight House, once known as Towering Elms for its now-lost elm trees, was built in 1865 on a portion of the former Goddard farm. Jeremiah W. Dwight (1819-1885), the original owner, was a local merchant and politician. Dwight served as a congressman representing Tompkins, Broome, Schuyler, and Tioga Counties from 1877 to 1883. His son John W. Dwight (1859-1928) also served in the House of Representatives from 1902 to 1913. This impressive Italianate-style home features a variety of window forms, a low-hipped and gambrel roof, and a decorative front porch with a tall paneled main entry door. Several outbuildings survive at the rear of the property, including a carriage house, a granary, a wood shed, an icehouse, and an outhouse. The Dwight House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a contributing structure of the Village of Dryden National Historic District.LISTEN HERE
