The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1916-01-22
TO PUT HOUSE IN
PRIMITIVE STATE
Restoration Of New York Struc-
ture Will Be Of Interest.
KIN GIVE UP PROPERTY.

Mn 1--WE uP PkUPEklI.
Dyckman Farm House In Upper Now
York City Will Be Restored to Co.
'oniaI Days Condition-Oniy DWELL
ing In Manhattan Built In Accordance
With Dutch Tradition.
New York.-One hundred years ago
great herds Of cattle browsed daily on
what has become the city's newest rec
reation spot-Dyckman House park
Owing to an arrangement made by
Park Commissioner Ward the old
Dyckman farmhouse, which stands on
this property at Two Hundred and
Fourth street and Broadway, will be
restored to the same condition in which
it was in colonial days. Mrs. Bashford
Dean and Mrs. Alexander Mcmillan
Welsh, who have presented this house
to the city, have not only given the
surrounding park, but have agreed to
improve it in accordance with the plans
Of the park department.
Some incidents which figured have
been furnished to Commissioner Ward
by Professor Bashford Dean, whose
wife, Mary Alice Dyckman, is one of
the park donors. Professor Dean Is
curator of the collection of armor in
the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He
has been at pains to produce the pic
turesque and accurate account Of the
house and it's inhabitants, which fol-
lows:
The ancient Dyckman homestead,
which stands on knoll at the corner
of Broadway and Two Hundred and
Fourth street, is unquestionably the
only remaining dwelling house on Man
haitian Island built by Dutch family
in accordance with the past Dutch ira
ditions.
Times have gone by, and many
changes have occurred. The last of the
family bearing the name in the vicin-
1ty died recently in the person Of Mrs.
Fannie Blackwell Brown, widow of the
late Isaac Michael Dyckman and her
self of Dyckman descent in several
lines. Her two daughters, Mrs. Bash
ford Dean, who was Mary Alice Dyck-
man, and Mrs. Alexander Mcmillan
WEIGH, who was Fannie Frederick
Dyckman, have as the last of the
Kingsbridge Dyckmans decided to per-
petuate the old Dyckman house in
memory Of their parents.
The Dyckman house in question was
built at the end of the war of independ-
ence, about 1856, as nearly as records
go. 1t was then that the family return
ed to their lands after the perils of the
war. Their ancient home, which had
been built opposite the present one.
nearer the river. had been burned down
by the British. So a new house was
built on ground which was somewhat
higher and nearer the post road
James Dyckman and DR.. Jacobus
Dyckman were early graduates Of Co.
lumbia college Q8O9-181D. Both died
young. one lawyer and the other a
distinguished physician-he was health
commissioner of New York, author and
scientist. 1t was he who is said to have
obtained for Columbia college when he
was secretary Of the old Philosophical
society Of this city the relics Of Benja-
min Franklin which it now has. Jaco-
bus Dyckman, son of the builder of the
house. was one Of the best known men
in New York, long time alderman and
a member of the constitutional conven-
ton in 1921.
It was Jacobus Dyckman who took
an especial liking to his young grand
son, Isaac Michael Dyckman, which
led ultimately to his coming to stay in
the Kingsbridge household. He was
then boy Of seven. the second son of
Jacobus Dyckman's daughter Hannah,
who had married Squire Caleb Smith
OF Yonkers. So his name was not origi-
nally Dyckman. The Dyckman estate
was so large it required great care in
It's upkeep. So it came about that Mr..
Isaac Dyckman, the surviving bachelor
uncle, looked ultimately to his nephew
for help. At that time, it appeared, Mr..
Isaac Dyckman had probably more real
property in his hands than any other
single property owner of Manhattan
has had before or since. At his death
In 1868 it was found that his estate
was to be divided among his various
hephews and nieces. His favorite
nephew. however, received the major
part, but with the proviso that his
name should be changed by the legisla-
ture from James Frederick Dyckman
Smith to Isaac Michael Dyckman.
The latter did not retain the house as
part of his heritage. 1t was no longer
as he remembered it, and he had him
self built house in the northern part
Of the property not far from his un-
cle's. In fact, the old house had chang
ed inside and out Even the old cook,
black Hannah, who was half Indian
and lived to be hundred years old,
had gone away-to the old Indian Gem
etery formerly on the corner Of Broad
way and Dyckman street. Then, too.
Mr.. Dyckman found that the approach
OF a great city meant heavy assess
ments and taxes. when, in order to
have parts of his tract developed. he
should practically make people pres
ents of his leaseholds. Indeed. it was
this Jan Dyckman who devised for this
whole region the farsighted plan Of
letting tenants have property for al
most nothing in order that the future
returns might be assured. One Of his
famous leases gave a tenant valuable
farm for one hen year for seven
years!