The Moses Yeomans House located in the neighborhood known as Ponckhockie, at 252-278 Delaware Avenue, Kingston, on the south side of Delaware Avenue, just west of Lindsley Avenue, is a pre-Revolutionary vernacular Dutch Colonial stone house retaining its early colonial period character, enhanced by Victorian-period romantic additions. The builder of the house is not known, but the house is known to have been the property of Moses Cantine who operated a ferry from the nearby waterfront to Rhinebeck, as did his Uncle and Great-Grandfather, both also named Moses Cantine. The house has been dated as prior to 1750 by the Kingston Landmarks Commission and to 1742 by the Junior League of Kingston. It is the only pre-Revolutionary old stone house remaining in this part of Kingston and as such provides the principal visible and tangible link for the community to its past
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From The Kingston Weekly Freeman, 20 Feb 1880
Yeoman House: An Old Relic
The Old Stone House standing in the Old Point Road: The best preserved landmark in the lower portion of the city at present is to be seen in the old stone house situated on the Old Point Road. The building was in its prime October 13, 1777, when Kingston was burned by the British. The house referred to owes its preservation to the present owners, the Newark Lime and Cement Company. Several years ago a Mr. Borley, in the company’s employ, felling a forest tree ruined his ax by coming in contact with a large cannon ball completely imbedded within later growth. It is quite probable this was fired by General Vaughn’s squadron of three thousand six hundred men, who scattered desolation in their track. A Mr. Yeoman owned the old stone house at that early day, and was in the Army at Stillwater. It was more recently occupied by Mr. Willemus Hasbrouck, and could its walls speak we should learn that of that early settlement “Wild Witch” now called Wiltwyck, that dates as early as 1663”…& c.
Written on letterhead of The Newark Lime & Cement Mfg. Co.
Rondout, N.Y., October 9th 1895
Rev. Roswell Randall Hoes
Dear Sir
I found your favor of the 7th this mo. on my table on my return home last evening. The Yeoman House is still standing and in fairly good repair with additions and modern appliances. It is occupied by D.B. Abbey our Bookkeeper. Traditions all point to its having been built by Moses Yeomans. A picture of it is given in Lossing’s Pictorial Field Book.
Part of our purchase from the Trustees of Abram Hasbrouck included land of the Chambers Patent but the deed does not refer to the same as the title was considered safe at all events. There was some of the purchase that layed east of the Chambers Patent and west of the Cantine Patent. The starting point on the bank of the Roudout Creek of the tracts as claimed by the owners overlapped, and there was some litigation. We finally bought of the Cantine side and made a compromise.
The vault of the Chambers family was just in the rear of the house of the present Abram Hasbrouck. When his father Jansen Hasbrouck built the house the remains were taken to Montrepose Cemetery where they (repose) without a line to mark the spot; and Van Gaasbecks are plenty. We bought of the heirs of Wilhelmus Hasbrouck all the tract formerly owned by Moses Yeomans and it included lot 54…and at the west corners were stores marked Me.Y Lot 54.
The old house was never burned so far as can be observed. The walls are laid up without mortar but have never been thoroughly pointed and there does not seem to be any bulging. The appearance of the house is quite different from the cut in the Field Book owing to the removal of a large oak tree and the addition of a projecting roof and a pediment and additions in the rear. We had a Mr. Borley that was marked for us on the farm. He has been dead for a long time and I do not recollect of the cannonball incident. He had a son who survived him but I could not credit the story as told for various reasons. It would please one to get a description of the Chambers Patent. I supposed that the Manor extenuated from the Rondout to the Esopus Creeks. This I think covers the (illegible) referred to and if you wish any further information that I can give I shall be pleased to give it.
Very Truly Yours
Ja. Lindsley
(Yeomans House photo by Mark Yallum)
The Squaredealer 