|
The
Hoffman House, located in historic Kingston, New York
was built prior to October 1679, and with few exceptions,
the original structure is intact.
Little
of the history of the house and its occupants between
1679 and 1707 is known other than the first recorded owner
of the property was Edward Whittaker, an English solider
in the employ of the Duke of York.
In
1707, when Nicholas Hoffman became the owner of the residence,
all transactions and information pertinent to the building
were recorded.
The
most notable member of the Hoffman family was Nicholas'
son, Anthony. A blacksmith by trade, he served for many
years as a trustee of Kingston, owned large estates in
Ulster and Dutchess Counties, was an elected member of
the Provincial Congress of New York City in 1774, was
signer of the "Articles of Confederation" in
1775, was appointed a judge of Dutchess County in 1777,
and was one of the regents of the University of New York
in 1780.
In
addition to its primary purpose as serving as a residence
for the Hoffman family, it is believed that the building
served as an early fortification and lookout, as evidenced
not only by its location as the cornerstone of the Stockade
area, but also by certain structural features (steps in
the attic leading to the roof of the building).
On
October 16th 1777, the British army plundered and burned
Kingston. The Hoffman House was severely damaged but was
restored by the family shortly thereafter. Char marks
can still be seen in the attic section of the house.
The
Hoffman Family owned and occupied the house for a total
of 201 years. In 1908 it was given to the Salvation Army.
During the mid part of the 1900's, the residence was used
as a warehouse and storage facility and fell into a state
of total disrepair. In 1973, Kingston Urban Renewal Agency
purchased it, and the exterior of the building was restored.
In
1976, Pat and Ginny Bradley purchased the Hoffman House
and began its restoration. The owners and a crew of devoted
friends and relatives completed all the work.
Rather
than destroying any part of the building, all usable materials
were salvaged and restored, any warped or damaged floorboards
were carefully removed, planed, sanded and if necessary,
turned over or replaced. Original nails were also reused.
This
same process was employed for restoring the molding, baseboards,
mantels, and door paneling. Original door handles of wrought
iron still exist on several doors. The bar top was made
from wood from a 200 year old barn, and extensive research
went into making the backboard reflect the woodworking
style of the era. The "grill" above the bar
is a reproduction of the original "bar and grill".
At night, the innkeeper would pull the grill down to lock
up the spirits for safekeeping, as patrons would oftentimes
sleep in the inn.
In
June 1977, the Hoffman House Tavern, which began as a
"Labor of Love" opened for business. The Hoffman
House is an excellent example of an early American Dutch
rubble house, featuring a fireplace in each of the main
rooms; many small multi-level rooms; and wide-planked,
random width floors. With very few exceptions, the entire
structure, both interior and exterior, is intact.
One
of the architectural and historic highlights of Kingston's
Stockade District, the Hoffman House was placed on the
National Register as a historic landmark on June 13th
1975.
|
