61. Old Quaker Church, Mill Street

HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY. 217

of an English country scene, with the manorial estates of English noblemen stretched out before the view. In the upper part of the town, bordering the river, are the seats of several wealthy land proprietors, branches of the ancient Livingston family.

The earliest settler in the town of Hyde Park is believed to. have been Jacobus Stoutenburgh, who came from Holland about the time of the division between the Protestants and Catholics at the beginning of the 18th century. He was a Protestant, and was forced to flee the country. He was the oldest son, and therefore inherited the entire paternal estate, worth seven millions of dollars. This he made over to his brothers and sisters, for them to hold during their natural lives; at their death it was to revert to him or his heirs. This property was sufficient to afford them all a comfortable livelihood; and when the last one died, and no one appearing to claim the estate, it was advertised according to law. After the period required by the statute had elapsed, and no claimant appearing, it was sold, and the money placed at interest in a Holland bank. Here it draws seven per cent. yearly. Three per cent, is added to the principal each year; the remaining four per cent. goes to the education of poor children. It is now nearly seventy years since the property was advertised; and the principal, with compound interest added, now foots up to more than $50,000,000. This princely estate properly belongs to the numerous heirs of Jacobus Stoutenburgh now residing in this country.

Jacobus Stoutenburgh moved to Hyde Park about the year 1792. He was merchant in Westchester for awhile. He was proprietor of one of the Nine Water Lots, besides owning large tracts of land in other parts of the County. These tracts lie had acquired by trade and purchase of the original proprietors. He gave to his son Luke 350 acres, located about Hyde Park Landing; i600 acres to his son Peter, including the slate quarry in the town of Clinton; to his daughter Margaret, some 1400 acres, east of the latter, on which the old

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218 HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

mill at Bull's Head was built and afterwards burned; together with other vast domains to others of his heirs. Jacobus owned considerable land property lying between Rhinebeck and Poughkeepsie; it is said that there are recorded, in the County Clerk's Office, quit-claim deeds of no less than seventy-five farms, lying in the County north of Poughkeepsie, the title to which comes direct from Jacobus Stoutenburgh.

The early settlers built log houses for temporary shelter until such time as they could erect more substantial dwellings. Jacobus built three stone houses near Hyde Park Village. The first one built is yet standing, in a good state of preservation, on the east side of the road, south of the village. This house is noted, not only as being the first substantial stone house built in Hyde Park, but also as having been occupied two or three weeks by Gen. Washington during the War of the Revolution. A few years since a gentleman conceived the idea of spending a night in the apartment occupied by Washington. He procured a bed from the hotel, and took up his quarters, his only companions being a colony of squirrels which somewhat interrupted his repose. He afterwards wrote an interesting account of his adventures that night in the old mansion.

The second house was built near the Lower or Old Landing, likewise of stone. The brick for the chimney was brought a over from Holland; with glazed tiles for the broad fireplace, on which were imprinted scenes in Bible history. On tearing down the building a few years since, Stone house, near Landing,after it had stood nearly a .century and a half, the chimney was left standing. The :mortar was of such a quality that it was harder than the brick, and it was therefore found to be impracticable to tear the chimney down, so it was pushed over, the fall breaking it into two pieces only.

When Vaughan returned down the river, after having

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