The Chenango and Unadilla Valley Fifty Years Ago
S.S. Randall
Chenango Union, February 28, 1872
Norwich, Chenango Co., NY
[A walk about the downtown of the 1820s]
The Public Square or "Green" occupying a space of about three acres, and divided by the main street running north and south, into the "East and West Greens," was originally the gift of Peter B. Garnsey and Stephen Steere, the former owning the land west, and the latter that east of the highway. Both were among the earliest settlers of the village; the former residing in the house now occupied [in 1872] by his descendants, a little south and west of the Court House, on the site, it is believed of the first dwelling house (a log building) erected in the village. Judge Steere resided in the house on the north east corner of the Public Square; afterwards, at the period to which this sketch relates, occupied by his son, Mark Steere, as a Hotel (with the various Masonic emblems on the capitals of its pillars) and subsequently known as the "Eagle Tavern" of Gen. DeForest, which was burnt down some twenty years since. The judge, at an early period in the century became the purchaser, from Silas Cole, of the entire tract west of the river to the Main Street, and from the Canasawacta Creek on the south, and the Harris farm on the north. The Garnsey property was originally purchased by Col. William Munroe--afterwards Sheriff of the county--and comprised all that portion of the village lying west of the Main street, from the north line of the Garlick property to the Dickinson farm. Elisha Smith, Esq., subsequently purchased this fine property--erected mills upon the creek--the only ones north of Tioga Point--and sold out to Mr. Garnsey.
The old Court House, fifty years ago, occupied a commanding site on the western extremity of the "Common"; and was built in 1808 by Josiah Dickinson, and George Saxton, at a cost of about $6500. It was of wood, two stories in height, with a neat cupola, and contained in addition to the Court and Jury rooms, three rooms for prisoners, and ample accommodations for the residence of the Jailor. Hither three times in each year came the Judges of the County Court--Uri Tracy, first Judge; John Noyes, Nathan Taylor and Levi Bigelow, Associate Judges--and once a Justice of the Supreme Court--Chief justice Spencer or Judges Van Ness or Yates--to hold Circuits. In their train came all the County Lawyers--prominent among whom, at this period, were James Clapp, Henry VanDerlyn, John Tracy, Simeon G. Throop, Abial Cook, James Birdsall, David Buttolph, Smith M. Purdy, Noah Ely, John Hyde, Robert Monell, John C. Clark and Charles A. Thorp--and on special occasions such foreign lawyers of distinction as Samuel Sherwood of Delaware, Henry Stephens, of Cortland, John l. Viole, of Rensselaer, John Birdsall, of Seneca, John A. Collier, of Broome, and Joshua A. Spencer, of Oneida. The County Clerk's office--a small red-brick building, occupied a niche on the southern side of the Square, nearly opposite the court House--the Presbyterian church a fine building, afterwards burned down, adjoining it on the east; and directly opposite the court House, on the "East Green," stood the old Baptist Meeting house--unpainted, primeval, with large square pews, high galleries and pulpit--Elders Randall and Spaulding presiding. Only the Presbyterian Chruch was furnished with a bell. Its pulpit was filled, ably and eloquently, at this time, by the Rev. Edward Andrews, who was exceedingly popular with the congregation, and the citizens generally. He subsequently went over to the Episcopalian Chruch, and was located at New Berlin in 1832, from whence he went to Binghamton, where he died a few years since, universally esteemed and respected.
At this time no other buildings occupied the space between the Presbyterian Church and the corner of South Main Street, or between the latter and the office of Birdsall & Buttolph, south of what is now [in 1872] known as the Guernsey Block. Next east of the store of Johnson & Noyes, on the opposite corner, was a dwelling, then recently erected by John Noyes, Jr.; occupied afterwards by Cyrus Strong, and more recently by Abial Cook. Still farther on East Street resided Joseph Chapel, and between him and Mr. Buttolph's stood a house, afterward owned by Daniel Gray and occupied in 1821 by two maiden sisters, Celestia and Sophronia Whaples, and in 1835-6 by me; also a small house, then owned and occupied by Henry Snow and his mother, and subsequently by Jason Gleason and his son-in-law Eli M. Gibbs. These buildings were mostly situated on the south side of the Public Square. On that side of the street only two other dwelling houses intervened between those already mentioned and the river--a distance of nearly an entire mile. These were the residence of Mr. Shumway, a carpenter, near the site of the present Episcopal Church, and that of Stephen Steere, Jr., for nearly half a mile south, comprising a beautiful and quite extensive grove of native forest trees, whither on the long afternoon of summer days the villagers of both sexes and all ages, were wont to ramble.
To be continued
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