Fort Decker
Encyclopedia
"Fort Decker" is a stone house
built in 1793 from the remains of the fort of that name. It is located on West Main Street in Port Jervis, New York
, the oldest building in that city, which it predates by several decades.
The original Fort Decker was built by a Frederick Haynes, a Dutch settler
, sometime before 1760, during the French and Indian War
, as an unofficial defense and trading post. It was one and a half stories high, built of stone and overlapping logs. Haynes left the area for New Jersey
around 1775, leaving the fort to his wife's family, the Deckers.
On July 19, 1779, during Revolutionary War
, when the settlement was known as "Peenpack", the fort was burned during a raid by pro-British Indian
leader Joseph Brandt. When survivors brought news of the disaster to Goshen
, the Patriot attempt to retaliate led to a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Minisink
, the only major engagement of the war in the upper Delaware Valley
.
The current house was built from the remains of the fort in 1793. In 1826, it would house engineers working on the Delaware and Hudson Canal
, including John Jervis
, whom the city would later be renamed for. It remained in private hands as a residence from then on. In 1903, newspapers reported that the original roof was being removed, and in 1924 the building suffered partial damage from a fire.
As early as the 1880s, there had been interest in using the structure as a museum. This did not become possible until 1970, when the historical society bought it for $1,000 and converted it into a museum. In 1974 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, the first of three buildings in Port Jervis to attain that distinction, the others being the Erie Depot
and the Post Office
.
Stone House
- Place or building in England :* Stone House, Cumbria, England* Stone House, Deptford , one of the oldest and most distinctive buildings in the London Borough of Lewisham- Place or building in Hong Kong :...
built in 1793 from the remains of the fort of that name. It is located on West Main Street in Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis is a city on the Delaware River in western Orange County, New York, with a population of 8,860 at the 2000 census. The communities of Deerpark, Huguenot, Sparrowbush, and Greenville are adjacent to Port Jervis, and the towns of Montague, New Jersey and Matamoras, Pennsylvania face the...
, the oldest building in that city, which it predates by several decades.
The original Fort Decker was built by a Frederick Haynes, a Dutch settler
Dutch colonization of the Americas
Dutch trading posts and plantations in the Americas precede the much wider known colonization activities of the Dutch in Asia. Whereas the first Dutch fort in Asia was built in 1600 , the first forts and settlements on the Essequibo river in Guyana and on the Amazon date from the 1590s...
, sometime before 1760, during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, as an unofficial defense and trading post. It was one and a half stories high, built of stone and overlapping logs. Haynes left the area for New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
around 1775, leaving the fort to his wife's family, the Deckers.
On July 19, 1779, during Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, when the settlement was known as "Peenpack", the fort was burned during a raid by pro-British Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
leader Joseph Brandt. When survivors brought news of the disaster to Goshen
Goshen (village), New York
Goshen is a village in and the county seat of Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 5,676 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport,...
, the Patriot attempt to retaliate led to a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Minisink
Battle of Minisink
The Battle of Minisink was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought at Minisink Ford, New York, on July 22, 1779. It was the only major skirmish of the Revolutionary War fought in the northern Delaware Valley...
, the only major engagement of the war in the upper Delaware Valley
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
.
The current house was built from the remains of the fort in 1793. In 1826, it would house engineers working on the Delaware and Hudson Canal
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...
, including John Jervis
John B. Jervis
John Bloomfield Jervis was an American civil engineer. He was America's leading consulting engineer of the antebellum era . Jervis was a pioneer in the development of canals and railroads for the expanding United States...
, whom the city would later be renamed for. It remained in private hands as a residence from then on. In 1903, newspapers reported that the original roof was being removed, and in 1924 the building suffered partial damage from a fire.
As early as the 1880s, there had been interest in using the structure as a museum. This did not become possible until 1970, when the historical society bought it for $1,000 and converted it into a museum. In 1974 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, the first of three buildings in Port Jervis to attain that distinction, the others being the Erie Depot
Erie Depot
The Erie Depot, officially known as the Erie Railroad Station, is located at the corner of Jersey Avenue and Fowler Street in Port Jervis, New York. It was built in 1892 as a passenger station for the Erie Railroad by Grattan & Jennings in a Queen Anne style...
and the Post Office
U.S. Post Office (Port Jervis, New York)
The U.S. Post Office in Port Jervis, New York serves the 12771 ZIP Code. This covers all of the city of Port Jervis and adjoining portions of the Town of Deer Park. It is located downtown, at 20 Sussex St....
.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Orange County, New York
External links
- Fort Decker Museum of History, operated by the Minisink Valley Historical Society