The Homestead, listed on the NRHP in Westchester County, New York
The Homestead is a two-story wood-frame house in Haverstraw, New York, with clapboard siding, five windows across the front, and a small attached kitchen wing. The gabled roof is covered with asphalt shingles, windows are fitted with louvered shutters, and the doorways feature classical details such as columns and architraves.
The house was built around 1800 by Peter Denoyelles, whose family held the land since before the American Revolution as part of a farming community. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, it belonged to local leaders including Edward Pye, the first Village Board president, and other notable citizens.
The house served as a gathering place for Methodists who met with traveling preachers, reflecting the religious practices of the early community. This role shows how private homes functioned as centers for communal activities before dedicated buildings existed.
The house is located on Hudson Avenue in Haverstraw on a lot that slopes toward the Hudson River, with the basement visible from the east side. Visitors can view the exterior, though as a private residence it may not be open for interior tours.
The original house faced backward from Hudson Avenue, but when the village laid out streets in the 20th century, it was reoriented so that what is now the front was once the back of the building. This unusual shift reflects how the structure adapted to the urban development of its surroundings.
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