St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-23
HISTORICALLY
Interesting Is This Old Stone
House on Staten Island.

House on Staten Island.
New York World
Tottenville, S. l., is in mourning for
one OF its Oldest inhabitants and its
most picturesque citizen. A few DAYS
ago Rlchard christopher, the custodian
ana was laid to rest in the Bethel
cemetery. after a life of nearly eighty
years. Uncle Richard, as he was
called, was known to many historical
and antiquarian students. Staten ISL
and was his native region, and he had
occupied the quaint old Billopp house
and had cultivated the 20O-acre farm
surrounding it for forty-seven years.
Inc place forms the extreme point
OF Staten Island, overlooking Raritan
pay. 1t belonged in early colonial days
to one Blllopp, who built thereon the
present stone house, with walls as
thlck as those of a fort and with a
dungeon underneath, and a subter-
ranean passage leading to the shore of
the bay; 1t was alternately occupied
during the revolution by the Amer
leans and the British.
Inc dungeon is shaped like a cylin-
drlcal tunnel. It's interior is blacker
than midnight itself. Uncle Richard
used to delight in taking visitors into
1t, and in telling them yarns about the
dolngs of the ghosts of its former un-
fortunate occupants, in which he ap-
parently thoroughly believed One
story of which he was particularly
fond was that of a young British cor
net who had been captured by the
continentals. He has never ceased. it
is said, to appear on the anniversary
OF his capture, and to wall forth his
woe in childish treble. There was
also tragedy in the life of one of the
Billopps. About $50 years ago this Bill
lopp was a gay gallant, and by his wit
island as his bride After a brief period
Of ecstatic courtship and a short
honeymoon, jealousy ragged in the hus-
bands breast, and he killed his wife.
her BODY was buried at the threshold
of the mansion.
The skeleton was dug up only a
short time ago and reinterred with
Some sixty odd of the old family in a
plot adjoining the farmhouse.
Up in the attic are red stains on the
floor. Mr.. Christopher always main
tanned that they were the marks of
blood that was shed during the strug-
gle for freedom, and that strange
Wh1sperings were rife in that part of
IN the heavy rafters and floor beams
which Mr.. Christopher commended were
used in the infection of punishment.
Mr.. Christopher was very proud of
the fact that during the Revolution a
committee of congress met the British
general, Lord Howe, in the old house.
This committee was composed of Ben
Jan1in Franklin, John Adams and Ed
ward Rutledge, and the intention was
to arrange a treaty of peace just after
the battle of Long Island. The meet
ing came to naught.
The Bfllopp house is supposed to
have been built 226 years ago. There
are willow trees standing near II which
are more than a hundred years old.
The place belonged for many years to
the Aspinwalls, of New York, whose
tenant Mr.. Christopher was. A few
years ago it was sold to the Bentley
Manor company, to be plotted out in
village sites. There is a mortgage of
$40, 900 on it, which has been foreciosed,
and the judicial sale is to be held on
Sept. 1.
to buy the Billopp place some years
ago.