Rye in Westchester County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Timothy Knapp House
Walk Rye History
Timothy Knapp's house, built between 1667 and 1680, is thought to be the oldest house in Westchester County. The house initially had just two rooms: a keeping room with a bedchamber above. Knapp farmed the land and served as the town constable and tax collector. He was also a vestryman for Grace Church (now Christ's Church). Services were held before the first church was built in 1705.
Ezekiel Halsted, a wealthy landowner, purchased the house in 1749 and expanded it twice. During his family's ownership, lasting 150 years, the house acquired its distinctive saltbox shape and fish scale shingles. The Halsteds also held religious services here after they converted to Methodism in the early 1800s.
In 1906, Simeon and July Ford, summer residents of a 48-room "cottage" on Forest Avenue, bought the house for their children. the Fords added a studio for their daughter Lauren, a successful artist, but otherwise the house was largely unchanged.
Today, the Knapp House, listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, is owned by the Rye Historical Society and houses Rye's archives.
Erected by Rye Historical
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Notable Buildings • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1667.
Location. 40° 57.914′ N, 73° 41.188′ W. Marker is in Rye, New York, in Westchester County. It is on Milton Road just north of Rye Beach Avenue when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 444 Milton Rd, Rye NY 10580, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Hudson Valley and in the New York City Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Milton Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); The Purdy Burying Ground
Other markers no longer nearby. Rye Meeting House (was approx. half a mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); This is one of some 230 markers erected on the Boston Post Road in 1763 (was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on March 6, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 6, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 923 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 6, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
