Village of Monroe Historic District
The Village of Monroe Historic District , also known as the Smith's Mill Historic District , is located in the Village of Monroe , New York in the United States . It is an irregularly shaped area of 81 acres (around 32 hectares ) with 36 contributing properties in the eastern central area of the village, which is composed of mostly residential houses as well as some churches and commercial buildings. The historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 .
Most of the historical district is open-plan; it includes a mill pond with a park, a cemetery and a former trotting track . Most of the existing buildings date from the 19th century, with some in an area on Stage Road forming the former center of Monroe and dating back to before American independence . At that time the water of Ramapo Creek was dammed by Smith's Mill. These houses were spared from a fire in 1892, which otherwise devastated the village. Within the district, neoclassical buildings and buildings in Federal style predominate , in addition there are some neo-Gothic houses from the mid-19th century. Within the historic district is the building of the oldest Masonic lodge in New York, the former cheese factory, where Velveeta cheese was first produced, and the home of the local founder David Smith, which was later expanded into a larger home through additions and conversions.
geography
Most noticeable is the western boundary of the historic district, which runs along New York State Route 17M from Lake Street to a point about a mile west of the intersection with Stage Road. Some areas west of the State Route are part of the historic district, especially on Stage Road, but also sections on Oakland, Mill and Ramapo Street. East of State Route 17M, two large lots northeast of the intersection with Stage Road are not part of the historic district. To the east, the borough's border follows the west side of Mill Pond Parkway south of Lake Street, then runs east on the south side of Smithfield Court, and then heads south on the west side of Stage Street for a short distance. The historic district border then zigzags to the intersection of Carpenter Place and Maple Street and from there south to enclose Monroe Cemetery and finally back west to Stage Street and NY 17M.
history
18th and 19th centuries
The history of the Village of Monroe began with the arrival of David Smith from Brookhaven , Long Island , who acquired 112 acres of land under the Cheesecocks patent in 1747 . Six years earlier he had built a house in the country where Maple and Stage Streets now intersect. In 1761 he bought an adjacent property; both land purchases cover a large part of what is now Monroe.
Smith dammed the creek to run a water mill . The settlement was soon named Smith's Mills . The settlement grew into the early 19th century and was first renamed Southfield and in 1808 Munroe , the name of a then Senator from New York . Later, during the presidency of James Monroe , there arose some confusion about the spelling and eventually the more common spelling was adopted, leading to the popular belief that the place was named after the president.
This period in Monroe's history is reflected in the federal-style homes in the historic district, including McGarrah's Tavern on the corner of Stage Road and State Route 17M. Originally, in 1814, it was the meeting place of the Masonic Lodge and is the oldest building in New York that is still used as such.
Around 1836 further branches of the economy had come to the milling industry in Monroe; the smelting of iron ore from the surrounding mountains and its processing into end products such as nails and ship anchors contributed to the local economy. The construction of the New York and Erie Railroad through what was then the outskirts of the town opened up new sales markets for local companies. During this period, the popularity of the federal style slowly shifted to neoclassic architecture. The Nicholas Knight House on Stage Road, built in 1811, received a more pronounced expression of this style during a later renovation, and the First Presbyterian Church of Monroe, built in 1853, was created in a more advanced interpretation of the architectural style.
The construction of the railroad network enabled the Monroe Cheese Company to introduce the Velveeta brand throughout the United States in 1873 . The Italian-looking brick building of the former factory is still on Mill Pond Road. Of the various architectural styles towards the end of the Victorian architecture phase, the Queen Anne Style prevailed most clearly. The Methodist Church on Maple Avenue, built in 1841, was renovated in this style in 1885 and the Church of the Sacred Heart was built as a Queen Anne building in 1896.
In 1892 a fire destroyed a large part of what was then the town center, east of the mill and older buildings. The citizens responded two years later by incorporating the settlement into a village to set up a fire department and a water distribution system.
20th and 21st centuries
Construction activity in the town's historic core declined at the beginning of the 20th century as Monroe expanded and other areas opened up. Between 1908 and 1927, the racetrack became a popular venue for harness racing . The Colonial Revival style was not as popular as the Victorian-style buildings before it, which is why there are few examples of colonial construction within the historic district. The most significant of these is the American Foursquare house at 132 Stage Road, built in 1910.
There has been no major construction in the historic district since 1940, with the exception of the Monroe Theater, built in 1948 in neoclassical style next to the cheese factory. The main grandstand of the trotting course was demolished in 1964.
Wendy Bush, a native of Monroe from one of the city's earliest residents, was a strong advocate of the creation of the historic district. Many of the owners concerned were against the measure because they feared that the changes to the development plan would prevent them from further developing their property. Since the formation of the historic district, few measures have been taken to preserve and restore the historic buildings within its boundaries.
Contributing properties
The 36 contributing properties comprise a total of 70 structures. Of these, 47 buildings, 9 other structures, and four sites are historical resources of the historic district. None of these has so far been included in the register independently. Nine other buildings - mostly garages - are not considered contributing as they were built at the end of the 20th century. The contributing structures include:
- The Hophni Smith House at 400 Stage Road is a one-and-a-half story saltbox that was built around 1750 and relocated to its current location in the mid-19th century.
- The David Smith-Jeremiah Knight House at 315 Stage Road is a two-and-a-half-story, timber frame construction in the Federal Style , the rear of which was added later. It is believed that Smith built the house in 1741. Today the historical society of the place is housed there.
- The remains of the Smith-Knight Grist Mill are right next to it. Only the foundation walls, dam, drainage channel and Mühlbach have survived from the structure that was built around 1750. The large mill pond is now in the center of a communal park.
- McGarrah's Inn or Goff's Tavern is located at 300 Stage Road. The house was built around 1800 and was used as a meeting place for a Masonic lodge from 1814 onwards. The building, which was expanded to its present size in 1839, is the former seat of the oldest Masonic lodge in New York. It was later the residence of Mayor Frederick Hulse, who was one of the prosecutors in the Nuremberg Trials . Local Freemasons purchased the house to renovate it and return it to its original use.
- The Monroe Cemetery is located on the north side of State Route 17M. This early settler cemetery was expanded in the 19th century. It contains cemetery art from both periods.
- The Monroe Cheese Company at 30 Mill Pond Road was in a three-story, Italian-style brick building that was built around 1880.
- The Monroe Presbyterian Church is a neoclassical church building at 142 Stage Road, which was built in 1853. A row of columns at the front is covered by a molded frieze . It is one of the most striking buildings in the Village of Monroe.
- Monroe Racetrack is the name for a vacant lot south of Stage Road. A harness racing facility was located here at the beginning of the 20th century, of which the gravel racetrack can still be seen.
- The Monroe Theater at 34 Mill Pond Parkway is a neoclassical-style brick structure built in the 1940s. Four stone columns support the frieze and the pediment triangle.
- The Judge William Seaman House at 160 Stage Road was built as an inn in 1809. It was set back from the street and renovated in 1850. At this point in time, the neoclassical elements and the Italian-looking details were added. The original porch was removed in the 1930s.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d John Sullivan: History goes unnoticed in Monroe (English) . In: Times-Herald Record , Ottaway Community Newspapers , May 11, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j John Bonafide: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Village of Monroe Historic District ( English ) New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation . December 1998. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
Web links
Coordinates: 41 ° 19 ′ 27 ″ N , 74 ° 11 ′ 13 ″ W.