New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-10
Historic Landmark Wa
Be Restored as !.
Colonial Days.
DUTCH HOMESTEAD
NEW PARK CENrpc
Original Furniture, portrai,, =,
Family and Heirlooms WIN
Be Replaced.

Dyckman house farm lay just Wal.
1ay's march Of New York. Tb.,.,
the Dyckman meadows weer vs,s
covered each evening with us,.
herds. which left the neg, mor,i,,
sunrise FOX the city. a jourrey 80
took all day. Now the Broaes,,
press of the subway covers the S,,,,-
between goth Street the nesr,u :.
way station to City Hall in thir,S
minutes.
Owing TO an arrangement ma. 4.
PARK Commissioner ward. ,he !,
Dyckman farmhouse. which stand, |.
this property at zJ4tn S.-s., =,
broadway. will be restored 70 tse a.
condition that it was .n IN Co.cn,sl ~
Mrs. bashfOrd Dean and Nr. A.,
ander Mcmillan Nelch. who have =
sented this house 10 ne city. have =
only given the surrounding pat \.
have agreed 20 landscape Il IN aco--
ance with the plans Of the Psh h.
Great historical interest st.asts T. |
this new park. The place wser
stands was ought over durirg a.
Revolutionary War. It's former -
tiers participated in the early sur.,.
ment OF New York city. II was ny,,
by many noted historical character
some of the incidents which have q,
ureG in its history have been fgnss
10 Commissioner Ward By Proins
Bashford Dean. whose wife. Mary A.
Dyckman. is one Of the park io.,a
Professor Dean is curator Of the cole
ton of armor in the MeIrogsG..,
Museum of Art He has been q, jan
TO produce the picturesque and asc.
rate account Of the house and its :.
which follows:
The ancient Dyckman homes.a.
which stands on a knoll at the &C.
ner of 204th Street and BroadEb ]
an interesting relic Of the days o.is
Dutch occupation Of New YORK vts
the upper part Of the island was *
in the remote country and when lsr
and well kept farms or bouweries rsp
the only habitations. The preg:
house is unquestionably the only y.
naming dwelling house on Nanha,,a
Island built by a Dutch family in r-
cordance with the rast Dutch tas.
tons. The Dycknans, who bull. I,
were in 1875 the pioneer settlers thm
abou.s, and their name has ever sra
held q place of honor among Us. II
entire region north OF For, Gecru J
known to-day as the Dyekman ;nS
The wide street connecting che Hsts,
and the Hudson rivers is Dyetnc
Street; one Of the oldest Libraries 4
New York was founded BY q Dyesfx;
the school in that region is bull ~;
land given by a Dyckman.
Times have gone by in VIA. VI
until lately the most conservative -
in Manhattan and many changes IN
occurred. The last Of the family ssls
ing the name in the vicinity reess-l
died in the person Of Mrs. Fs,;i
Blackwell Brown, wife OF the IA
Isaac Michael Dyckman. ana ss.
self of Dyckman descent in seen
lines. Her two daughters, Mrs biss
ford Dean, who was Mary Alice Diti
man, and Mrs. Alexander Mex a
Welch, who was Fannie frece'p'
Dyckman. have, as the last Of .
Kingsbridge Dyckmans, decided to pa
petuate the old Dyckman house
memory of their parents.
The Dyckman house in question "
built at the end of the War OF lni'
pendence, about l7S5, as nearly
records 90. Il was then thai y
family returned TO their lands ara
the perils of the war. Their anss.
home. which had been built opppesn
the present one nearer the last E,s
had been burned down by the briis'
for the Dyckman boys had servse
Washington's guides" and taer y
sourcefulness had made them =
neighbors 10 the British and hesss
troops. who had established siu
camps on their forefa,hers osI
meadows. SO a new house was pun.
ground which was somewhat hignef =. -
nearer the post road. which about y.
time changed its line and pa"
nearer the middle Of the island;
There can be no doubt that WIZ. !.
Dyckman made use Of the RUNS o. J. :
older house. which his grandiatnsii =
Dyckman, is believed TO nave ~ 49,
about 1850 And we cannot DOUBT =. =,
the grandson built on the same s'..
ors lines and strongly. Even q! rfa
emit. after vicissitudes, its osk Nv.
show little trace of wear and ~ !,
oak hand hewn beams are as sons -
ever So altogether the Old nous y,
readily be restored 10 its origin" '"
dition. -, N
The plan which Mrs. Dean ana :. n
Welch have in mind is TO ta'h y, y
house over 10 the city so Jar "a,
sible in the state in when y -,
prior 70 the year 1900, although ~.
Understood that the family ful'' :,
nic,ures map. documents, gas !,
crockery which they put IN II VI 10.
main for the present as loah' ~,
objects will add greatly to tne ~ ~
of the visitor 70 the old house l .,
sea, in its original position me o 10
boTanv sideboard with is furnisn,Iis ~.
the old mahogany claw.'eegs.. - ~,
the andirons in the old places ''s = :,
liz Bible. dated 1902, ponderous " q.
and with great bronze clasps ~
there will be old chairs, sofas n', ~
silver candlesticks and fine ola -.
field. all belonging 20 the iani" c.
10 1900. Then. too. there VIII :"
traits Of early Dyckmans. .... Il
Unhappily, howeve; mere mere, e'o II q
exist a ricture Of the hu'lasr !" r,r
bomsa or Of his son. Painters 4
Few in those days. espee.slly y i
from the city as Kingsbsiogs, - be
carly Dyckmans appear 70 -. 80; n.
,oo enereetic 20 have spent 'hs iss
with portrait painters. There a,,, b
eyor nortraits OF James Dyekm,n,, I,
inc abou, 1910. and a bust o. u ls.s
cobus Dyckmsn several mates ,
Both OF these were early y "a Bel
Columbia College llsos- -. -. o,ss
died voung; one a lawyer ana ~ ~. SsJ
a S;stineuished physician N ~ NJ
who WAS Health Commissions. :, "a: j
York. author and scientist, ,..i / ,or O.
who is said 10 have ootAlns1 sscrstsr
lumbia College. when ne VIZ Wv o. 81
~ The old Philosophical Soels'ir rsrkIil
ci,v. the relics Of Benjamin
The home will contain hu -. =
relies Of Jacobus Dyeknan,S N VI
r. .f buiHer Of the house, ana me-, = /,
dew one of the best sno s.s,sn ~