A Historic Tour through Newfield (2003 Historic Brochure) Preview

1

South Street Lodge

Built in 1832, this building was the First Presbyterian Church of Newfield. In 1878, it had a membership of 67, and with Sunday School teachers and scholars, the parish numbered about 100. In 1909, the church was sold and Presbyterian services were discontinued. Sometime after 1909, a second floor was added to the building. In 1910, the Rebekah Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows No. 377 and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows No. 771 bought the building and used it for their meetings as well as many and varied community affairs, until the local Order disbanded sometime before 1982. In 1984 Better Housing of Tompkins County purchased the building and renovated it into five apartment units. It is now owned and operated by Charles Fields.

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2

Village District

Newfield's business district was the scene of much activity years ago with 20 to 30 business establishments. Nearly any service or article could be purchased without a long trip to Ithaca. When the automobile appeared on the scene, Ithaca became easily accessible, and Newfield's businesses began to decline.

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3

Newfield Hotel, 182 Main Street

This brick building presently owned by Wayne Woodward was built after the Newfield Fire of 1875 by Jonathan "Dot" Stamp. It was operated as a hotel. Teddy Roosevelt gave a speech from the balcony to a large crowd on October 4, 1910. Pictures of that speech show the balcony extended across the building, but after a fire in 1926 the hotel was rebuilt with a smaller balcony. On the same block as the hotel are two other buidlings that were erected after the 1875 fire: the old "Red and White Store," now an apartment house and the Grange building, now housing the Newfield Historical Society.

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4

167 Main Street

In the center of the village stands one of Newfields most distinguised buildings. Presently (in 2003) owned by Sandra and John Davis, and operated as Bird Haven Bed and Breakfast, it was built in the Italianate style by Dr. Christopher Columbus Cook in about 1870. A long time beloved Newfield physician, Dr. Cook is said to have come to town on his horse just after graduating from medical college in Geneva, N.Y. in the 1840's. At that time he had little more than his satchel to his name. Dr. Cook opened his first office in the Dudley house on the corner of Shaffer Rd. and Main Street and his practice flourished. After marrying Dudley's daughter, Almira, they lived in the large home pictured here.

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5

Upper Mill

The Newfield Flouring Mills were built by Nichols, Luce and Dudley around 1830. The Upper Mill and the Lower Feed Mill on Depot Road were purchased by P.S. Dudley in 1861. Together they produced in an average year 2,500 bushels of merchant flour and about 40,000 bushels of custom flour. The ruins of this mill, which burned in 1918 can still be seen just past the Newfield Town Hall. Ruins of the lower mill are seen on Depot Road.

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6

Bank Street Cemetery

The Old Newfield Cemetery on Bank Street is the oldest cemetery in the township. The oldest stone marks the grave of S.W. Rodgers, who died January 3, 1813. The cemetery has around 550 properly marked graves. Three Revolutionary War Veterans - James Ford, James Young and Peter Puff - are buried here, as well as 12 Civil War veterans.

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7

Newfield Covered Bridge

Newfield's Covered Bridge was built in 1853 and restored in 1972 and again in 1998. Using the Town Lattice Truss, it is the last survivor of three original covered bridges in Tompkins County. It spans the West Branch of the Cayuga Inlet and is the oldest covered bridge still in daily use in New York State. The bridge was granted historic preservation and lsited on the National Register of Historic Places in May, 2000 by members of the NYS Covered Bridge Society. A Newfield Covered Bridge Society was formed in 1999.

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8

King Bowstring Arch Bridge

King Bowstring Arch Bridge on Beach Rd. in the village, was installed in the 1870's and was designed by Zenas King, an Ohio industrialist. It is one of the earliest prefabricated bridges installed in Tompkins County that still stands. Following many months of deliberation between the Town, County, and Newfield residents, plans are to repair and reopen this King Bridge in the very near future.

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10

The "Gables," 211 Main Street

This house built around 1860 in the Victorian "Cottage Gothic" style, stands on the corner of Main and Pearl Streets. Built by Oliver Puff, it was occupied by Puff's descendant, Miss Edith Horton for many years. Miss Horton was a local poet and served as town historian from 1953 to 1967. In the late 1920's and early 1930's May James ran a teahouse called "The Gables." The price for a special Sunday dinner was $1.25. The home has been renovated into apartments and is presently (2003) owned by Augie Adams.

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11

27 Pearl Street

This lovely little stucco house was once known as the "Old Brick School House," and bricks can still be seen by window sills. It is one of the oldest schoolhouses in the district. Used until 1870 when the Union Free School was built on Bank Street, the old brick school was then converted to a home. The garage was added after it became a home. It is presently owned by Gregg Volles.

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12

Railroad Abutment, Piper Road

This is a remnant of the Pennsylvania and Sodus Bay Railroad which was chartered in 1870. The railroad company secured the charter to build a track from Spencer that could connect with the Ithaca and Athens railroad through Newfield, Enfield, Ulysses, Covert, Ovid and Varick to Seneca Falls. The company made a survey and began work on the roadbed but abandoned the project in 1872. The town had to repay $52,000 in bonds which it had purchased to finance construction. A competing railroad line later completed a similar connection. The roadbed can still be followed along much of its course through Newfield township.

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13

Stone Jug, 270 VanBuskirk Gulf Road

This is one of the few stone houses ever built in Newfield. Little is known of its origin, but there is reason to believe that the builders were settlers from Pennsylvania who came after the Revolution. Before World War II, a family by the name of Luotas ran a Finnish bakery in the house, which was also used as a Finnish Dance Hall. It is presently owned by Christopher Carnell.

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14

190 Benjamin Hill Road

This Victorian home was built by Joseph Kellogg about 1879. The Kellogg family came to Newfield from Vermont in 1809. The house was brought in pieces by the railroad and then hauled to the site by horse and wagon. A later owner of the house was Richard McGreevy, who was the proprietor of the Lehigh Valley House in Ithaca. McGreevy was also a road builder and contracted to build Route 13 through the village in 1912. He used stones from the stone fences on the farm as a base for the road. Succeeding owners were Harvey Williams, Howard Wilson, James House, and Robert and Edith Tallman who presently own the house.

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15

90 VanKirk Road

This is the VanKirk homestead built by Andrew "Jack" Jackson Van Kirk in 1867. The house and farm of 263 acres were occupied by his grandson, Lochary Van Kirk and his wife Amanda and is now owned by William and Linda Burun. The roof once had a cupola, which burned in 1968. Another home very similar in architecture, is at the end of VanKirk Road on Main Street and was built by A.J. VanKirk's brother Morgan Putnam "Put" VanKirk at a later date, and is owned by Eric Bean. Still another stands in the middle of the village and was built by Percival Dudley and is now occupied by the George Howe family.

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16

110 Carter Creek Road

This house is the oldest in Newfield. It was built in 1806 by one of the first settlers, Henry Smith, and was originally two log cabins. The living room was one cabin and the kitchen was another. The logs can still be seen inside the building. Once known as the Indian Springs Farm, a spring 1,700 feet away still supplies water to the house. Older residence have reported that many arrowheads and artifacts have been found on the property. Owned for many years by the Fred Winch family, the house is now owned by Irving and Elaine Peress.

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17

Trumbulls Corners Community Church

The First Christian Church was organized May 20, 1854 in Trumbulls Corners and the building was erected in 1858. In 1946, the Trumbulls Corners Methodist Church was destroyed by fire and the congregations of the Methodist Church and the First Christian Chuch combined to form the Trumbulls Corners Community Church. Parishioners of these churches are meeting at the present time in what was the original First Christian Church building.

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