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.
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Colonial Era • Notable Buildings • 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. Marker 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.
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 (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Playland Amusement Park (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Bird Homestead and Rye Meeting House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Rye Meeting House (approx. half a mile away); Milton Commercial District (approx. half a mile away); Old Rye Fort 1675 (approx. 0.9 miles away); This is one of some 230 markers erected on the Boston Post Road in 1763 (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rye.
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 140 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 6, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
