The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-23
FowLER,s roLLr rUMBBEs DoWN.
last or the Great House HALT By an Eccentric
Professor Of Bumps.

Po"uoHKEEPsiR, May 22.-within a few weeks
"Fowler's Folly" the large octagonal building
between Fishkill village and WappinRer's Falls.
on the old Post road. has fallen into ruins, after
having been n landmark for nearly half Il cen.
fury. Fowler's Folly was built by orson =.
Fowler, who was at one time the best known
man in Duchess county and the most noted in
his peculiar profession In tho United states. lie
made a fortune by feeling bumps and dissipated
1t in queer enterprises.
The structure was finished about 1850. and
cost In all about $40. 900. The site Is on an Gle.
walton commanding a magnificent view Of the
Fishkil Mountains and the Hudson River VAL
ley from tho northern gates OF the Highlands TO
the Catskill Mountains. The building Is an
architectural oddly. Much Of its original plan
can still DO made out, although the roof, pinzzas,
and part Of the walls are gone. 1t was three
stories in height, surmounted by a tower, and
built Of concrete laid In courses of about thrco
feet each. Prof. Fowler had a theory that every
man who could purchase a plot OF land could
build his own home from materials In the soil.
In the construction Of the Folly he put into
execution his ideas on the subject. He
took stone from tho land he owned and
had it broken up and mixed into concrete, which
he poured into troughs and allowed to harden,
after which tho troughs were moved up their
own height. the repetition OF this process form.
ing a solid wall of concrete. Tho work was all
done under Prof. Fowicr's supervision, but II
t IS%s w MSl si iSSit across t tho 'Ib,udiIIaiHDrr ItG TO STEADY tho
outside walls slid down from their own weight.
The construction OF the building cost II sum far
beyond Its value, as 1t was done by days work.
and the workmen felt that 1t would be a pity TO
hurry SO. novel an enterprise to completion.
The original intention OF Prof. Fowler was 70
make OF the building a spiritualislic home and
water cure. He divided his castle, INTO sixty
il did to build It. The farm surrounding was
laid out with walks and drives, and fruit trees
and berry bushes Of every, variety were planted
all over the place. Grent barns were built for
cattle and horses, TO store the crops In. and to
house the poultry, Prof. Fowler spent fifteen
as much as 600, 900: but every dollar went to
RFS SE Of aH nils , PTSG fSsaasnti G0% a ShonsS af S"T his Is res Is
turn, which was usually IN April, he would have
but a small part left of his earnings Of the pre-
the people of the countryside of the doings at
Fowler's Folly during the days when Its owner
occurrence. and many of the most famous me.
diums OF the country appeared there.
Among his other fads was u belief that man
could live on the products OF the soil in their
natural form: He would frequently go. out and
make a meal from the berries or fruit on his
In Fishkill village and invited 100 men to join
him in setting out fruit trees on the highways
subjected TO the humiliation Of begging 1t or
stealing it from their richer neighbors. One day
Folly and asked for something 10 eat. Prot.
Fowler was enthusiastic at this time over his
fruit and berry theory, and. calling the man into
the garden. invited him to pitch in.
But ! am worn with walking and want some
thing substantial. protested the tramp.
1t then appeared that there was nothing In
that 10000 house ut for a hungry man to cat.
After Prof. Fowler's death Fowler's Folly wae
sold for u small part of its cost. For several
years u Spaniard named Andreas Cassard con.
Quoted "a boys boarding school in It; afterward
IL was conducted as a summer hotel. The prop
erty at one time and another has borne tremen
dous mortgages, compared with its value, and II
has been sold and traded for apparent considera
tons OF from $4,000 to S5O, 900. For twenty
years past it has been unoccupied.