William Bull III House
Encyclopedia
The Brick Castle of William Bull III, an early settler of the region, is located on a hill overlooking the Wallkill River
in the Town of Wallkill in Orange County
, New York
. It was built by Bull sometime in the 1780s. Bull and his son William IV, on returning home from serving with Gen. George Washington
's campaign against the British, had been impressed with the buildings of Baltimore and other Atlantic seaports visited during his military service. The title of 'Brick Castle,' is shared among a few early brick homes constructed in the area around the same time. Bull, himself a stonemason by trade, decided upon arriving home to build a brick homestead. He is also known for having constructed Gen. Washington's headquarters at Newburgh, NY.
Most of the materials for Brick Castle were taken from the land around the farm, including the clay. Ostensibly the brick kilns were built on site, however, remains have to yet to be recovered. A New York State Historical Register sign on the site states that the building was constructed "for a price of $800.00." This statement has never been historically verified, nor are we certain as to what construction costs actually covered. The original homestead was a timber cabin with stone foundations. No portions of the original structure are visible presently. William Bull's descendants were dairy farmers, and the property was maintained as a dairy farm until 1964. Only one other historic structure, an 1830's carriage house, remains on the property. The other outbuildings were destroyed in by fire in 1964. Six generations of the family have lived there and it remains a private residence for Bull's descendants today. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1974.
Wallkill River
The Wallkill River, a tributary of the Hudson, drains Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, flowing from there generally northeasterly to Rondout Creek in New York, near Rosendale, with the combined flows reaching the Hudson at Kingston....
in the Town of Wallkill in Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It was built by Bull sometime in the 1780s. Bull and his son William IV, on returning home from serving with Gen. George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's campaign against the British, had been impressed with the buildings of Baltimore and other Atlantic seaports visited during his military service. The title of 'Brick Castle,' is shared among a few early brick homes constructed in the area around the same time. Bull, himself a stonemason by trade, decided upon arriving home to build a brick homestead. He is also known for having constructed Gen. Washington's headquarters at Newburgh, NY.
Most of the materials for Brick Castle were taken from the land around the farm, including the clay. Ostensibly the brick kilns were built on site, however, remains have to yet to be recovered. A New York State Historical Register sign on the site states that the building was constructed "for a price of $800.00." This statement has never been historically verified, nor are we certain as to what construction costs actually covered. The original homestead was a timber cabin with stone foundations. No portions of the original structure are visible presently. William Bull's descendants were dairy farmers, and the property was maintained as a dairy farm until 1964. Only one other historic structure, an 1830's carriage house, remains on the property. The other outbuildings were destroyed in by fire in 1964. Six generations of the family have lived there and it remains a private residence for Bull's descendants today. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1974.