Eckman - NC CHAP

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THE STRAND
Tile Hous-8 Site
Original Strand Flot, 60'
Present 9wner Lesley H. George
Ao~roximatelv that of resent #54
Original Plot - 11
The Tile house site in 1657 aas a 60' x 300' plot extending
fron the Strand west tg the Green. This plot belonged to "alilliam
~.Iaurits" - '!:illia~ Xorris, an Znglishnan frca Cornsall, who had
become a Dutch citizen. idaurits also owned the adjoining ?lot to
the south (see srrnmary of that plot, 9-10, now the south part of
the garden of #54, Read alley and part of the Read house). %il-
liam Liaurits may have owned also, the adjoining plot to the north
extending 60' to Karmony Street and 300' deep to the Green. (No
deed or other record cf ownership for this corner lot during the
Dutch period and first decade of the Duke of York period has been
found so far.)
For the Tile 3ouse site the early ownership is determined by
deeds and court records for the adjoining plot to the south, which
gave the Tile house lot as its north boundary. Following Xaurits,
however, there is no further record until 1678, when the lot is
cited in court as recently the property of "bIoses ~egan" (lv~oses
~'~onne, a boatman), purchased from him by John Boyer. Boyer was
applying in the court for a certificate of ownFshi2, which was
granted, to enable hin to secure a legal deed from the governor
at New York.*

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(Original ?lot 11, continued)
Xo further record of the property has been fmnd for the -e-
3ainder of John 3oyer1s lifetime, but i~z1raediat~ly ayter his ~23th
in 1703 or 1704, the house and lot Kere boi~ght from the tuo "dtiu~n-
ters and co-heirs of john Boyer" by Joseph ~ood, ~ h at o that tine
owned ths house and lot next dmr t9 the south.* The Tile
lot had "a small house" on it at the tirne Boyer bought it frog
CIGonne. According to ths numerel tie bolts on the Ti19 house,
1687, Boyer replaced ~'Gonne's saall house that year by the house
later described as "a large brick dwelling'!.
Jan Earnensen, the carpenter, who lived next door (in the
house afterward in the possession of Joseph 'load), may have been
the craftsman engaged to build the Tile house; he mas a prominent
builder at the time, and appraiser of propsrty for the co-wt, and
he mas Dutch. The Boyer fmily, long in the service of the Dutch
Eas of French origin, probabJy Hugenot who had fled from France to
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the protectim of Holland. /
Alexander Boyer, the father of John, was deputy-commissioner
for the Dutch on the Delaware River in 1648, with headquarters at
Port Nassau, near tne site of Gloucester, Nem Jersey, He wss also
interpreter for the Dutch with the Indlans, and In that capacity
came with Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch director-general, when he
built Fort Casimir in 1651. Alexander Boyer remained at Fort Casi-
mir, until after the Swedes captured th2 fort in 1654. The Swedes
*Yo dinensions of the Tile house lot are given in this sale but
later indentures show that it was 60' x 300',

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(?lot 11, continued)
did not like him becauso of his "contempt" for their autnori ty,
but as he hed "E! S~edish :;ifell lie ir:tls offered the privileges of a
Swedish colonist. He accepted, but left sgon Tor lhn'nattan, re-
turning the next ycsr nhen Stuyvezant v.;ade his conqilest af the
whole river fro3 the Sv:edas.
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klexsneer L-oycr brought 1;: s f tz.i'lj~ frog :knhattan - his ;~ife
and three children, John, Josyn, and Thornas. John milen he vas old
enough became a soldier, his sister Josyn (Josie) mrried a soldier,
John Xzrshall. Soyer, Xsrshall 2nd two other soldiers, Robert
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Scott and John Cousins, sere grznted jointly in 1569, a tract of
400 acres near "Christina Town" - to be cultivated and planted by
them. They sold this farm in 1675 to Justa kndries.
John Xarshall, Josie Boyer's husband, died and she married
;?illian Semple, of New Czstle, a justice of the court. John and
Josie were among those who requested naturalization by Yiilliam
Penn in 1683. Jo?n had already served as sheriff under the Guke
of York in 1680-81, and perhaps longer.
The surname of John Bayer's first wife has n ~ been t determined.
In a court case in 1680, her first name is Leitie, a farniliar given
nane in i3ew Castle ind->ntures of the early Dutch-Znglish periodc.
In 1702, when Joseph Hansen, large land oaner in Red Lion Hun-
dred, conveyed to John Boyer 100 acres north of Dragon Swamp, Han- ,
sen made the transfer nout of the love and affecti~n that I bear

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(Plot 11, continued>
c~to rc:- kr-oti3sr-in-law ~s also for Givers othsr causes and con-
sideraci2nsi1. 'The 9x1;- sister 9f ., asi~;.h Hariser-, accordin? to
their father's rill, wss nnn, vL-lo rnay i-1-se b,en Zohn B,lyf.rl s sec-
ond rife. (It is possible of cause that john Boysr ha,; zr~other
sister brn Ic.ter than the three chllbren ~nenti~ned in the Lutch
recards oI' 1660, ;.2-.:, -i(-*ht
I ~ A h~i~2
~ :nrrried L-osel~h
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2 ..b
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z:.znsen; or ; osis
.,--:,t i;sve r.zrr:ed hi:; after >er sec3nu hil~'op;q ,, ,A,d, ,!illla:; Uensle
die; in 1652.)
Alexaguer Eoyer had E 2lantctian up tha river a short dis-
- now Fourth Street just south of 3elcnwzre Strset. 1'0 mention of
d him has been found after the 2ngiish esne in 1664, so he inay have
died betneen 1660 and 1664 or soon afterv;e.rd. Praperty is aen-
tioned in 1667 as "for~uerly belonping!' ti~ hi~i, but surviving rec-
ords are sufficient to prove that Alexander 5oyer was one of the
founding settlers of Gevr Szstle; and also that he was a nan of
ability and inte,rity, judging from the positions he held during
the period of Dutch activity on the river.
In the same year, 1678, that John Eoyer bought ths Tile
house lot aith the "small house!', frm Iiosas II1Gonn9, he and
D'Gonne were granted a2joining lots 60' x 3013' feet on Lad Street,
now Second Street, north of Harmony. The %sposltion of these
lots has not yet been determined, but John 3oyer rn7lst have sold
a his in 1696 or the foilo~inj year, for he is taxed for tso town
lots in 1685 and for one lot in 1687 - the yesr or the building
of the Tile house.

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(Plot 11, continued)
John So;ler1 s daughter1 s in:ierited along ~:i th the Tile house,
the bank lot opy:oeite, and this crss include?. in the sale t o J3-
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seph r.ood.
;ose?h ;,sod nes a land-onner sn Long Island cs early ~s 1673.
:!;hen he came to the Dele.~:are h.js nat Seen deternlned; he ivitnessed
z ~ro~erty trsnsfer at Xen C~stie in 1635, vras in possession of
the lot ad9ining the Tile h3use site in 1701, 2nd that saae year
acquired two plantations i~nlediately north of k;eu Ccstle. In
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170a, at the request of Tiessel Alrichs the ratiring sheriff, ;::il-
lian Benn a2pointed Joseph sheriff in Alrichs' place.
e: Joseph Wood must have held a large mortgage or claim 2gainst
the Boyer estate, for the deeds to him convey the property for 5
* in
pounds to bind the bargain "as also for divers other good causes
and valuable considerations."
John Boyer had mcre land in 3ed Lion Zundred than the 100
acres conveyed to him by his brother-in-lalJ Joseph Hansen in 1702.
That same year John Boyer sold (to Eenry ~arker) 200 acres on half
of the former dwelling 2lantation of Joseph Hansen. This may have
been a mortgage, for in 1705, Joseph ..ood, at the time he wzs buy-
ing the Tile house from Boyer's daughters, bought a plentation of
350 acres rrom Zoseph Yansen in the sms genercl location. Thomas-
Boyer, John's son, had re-surveyed to him that sane year 100 acres
this region. Vhether i:his tract had belonged to his father and
was re-surveyed because of his inheritance, has not yet been

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(plot 11, continued)
deterrained in this search, but that some of the Soyer property in
Xed Lion Hundred descended to Thomas Boyer is indicated in the
records. Some of his descendents moved to Kent County, Selaaare,
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and some to Maryland. Those who renained in ~ ~ Csstls e v County
bought the sheres of those who left in the farns. No further rec-
ords of the two daughters of John Eoyer nzve been found to date.
One r:as sarried to Faul Thoolas, yeoman, 3f Yew Czstle C~unty. The
other to Thomas Gill-Johnson, yeoman, formerly of I;eirl Castle, but
at the time of the sale of the Tile house, of iu'evr Jersey.
In 1716, Joseph iiood sold the Tile house property to Cr.
Patrick Reilly, physician of Idew Castle, who during his lifetime
owned much valuable property in Xer, Castle and had a large brick
yard near the river south of the town.
After Dr. Reilly's death and the death of his wife, mho was
executor, the Tile house property was seized by the sheriff and
sold for a claim against Gideon 3riffith (who had married Iv!ar-
garet, the widow of Er. Reilly, and was administrator of what mas
left of Dr. Reilly's estate). Dr. John Finney, the highest bid-
der, bought the "large brick house" znd lot in the Front Street
for 150 pou~ds 5 shillings. Other indentures show that this sum
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did not represent the total Dr. Finney invested in the house, for
in a re-sale of the property by Dr. Finney to Gideon Griffith for
155 pounds, the title aould not become effective until Griffith
L had paid in addition e mortgage debt to John Richardsan, amount not

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(Plot 11, continued)
stated. Later, a debt of 3r. Finney agaicst Griffith in connec-
ti3n with this house xas 200 pounds.
The property at thi~ time had sn adjoining plot at tkie corner
of Second and Harmony Streets i:hich Dr. Reilly had b~ught fro2 :il-
lim and Rebecca Earney, the latter one of the heirs of Johanncs
DeEaes. (see Sumnary of Eapony ~.nd Secan5 Street plots.)
To recover the debt of Gideon Griffith to Dr. John Finney of
200 pounds, the Tile house and ground ~1.2~ sold by the sherif-ad
sold to Anthony Jhitely in 1754. His aidovf, Abigail ;,hitely ac-
quired the property in 1758. She married John Fassmore, survived
him, and her exkcutors sold the house and land to Israel Israel in
1782. From Israel it went to YJillian Armstrong, innkeeper, in
1796, the same year he bought the property adjoining to the south
where he kept a tavern.
'Rilllam Armstrong divided the 60' Tile house plot zs he did
the adjoining 63' plot to the south, both of vurhich extended from
the Strand to Second Street when he bought them. To Anne Yeates
in 1803, sold the housg, "known by the name of Tile ~ouse" with
ground measuring 36' on the Strand, extending back 91' at this
width and thec narrowing for the balance of the total depth of
177'. The front width of 36' included an alley on the south side,
running back 68' to a ivell. The alley and the well were to be for
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b uae in common between Anne Yeates, and Daniel XcArthur to whom

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(Flot 11, continued)
anstrong wes selling at the same time, the balance of the Tile
house plot south ~f the alley - 25' front by 39' deep. arrnstrdng
retained the orizinel Tile house ground Sohind this snall front
lot, in connection with his tavern adjoining the 25' lot on the
south.
(For the 25' lot originally Selonging to the Tile house, see
end pzges of this summzry.)
About t5e aiddle of the 19th century, Anne Yeates ('hrooster)
and her brother John sold the Tile house to Thomas Eobinson, who
died in 1873. From the hobinson family the plot wzs acquired by
w Lawrence Cormer who sold the same year, 1883, to Alexander Be
Cooper. Carolyn B. Rogers acquired the Tile house plot from heirs
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of the Cooper family in 1909.
At what tine and under whose ov~nership the Tile house began
to suffer from neglect has not been determined. A visitor ar-
riving at New Castle by ship in 1822 writes:
"'dent ashore into the main front street, to see the house
built in 1687, after the manner of the houses in Holland, of brick
aid to have been imported from there. The bricks are very small,
yellowish, and now rough-cast with plaster. It presents its gable
end to the front street -- the roof is remarkably deep, making two
stories in itself. The end walls are higher than the roof and have
regular steps on their upper surface above the roof. The year,
1687, is in iron letters, as clamps, on the front ~vall. 3ne feels
a sentiment of veneration at seeing such vestige of antiquityea
The house, as here described, was painted after the middle
of the century by a nember of the Rogers fanily. The original ia
now in the possession of' Mrs. bdlound Rogers of' New Castle. At some

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(Plot 11, continued)
tine it had acquired t w front ~ doors. ~{ot enough icfornztion nxs
been available to date re~srding the occu9:;tlons of the r:ners
during the 19th century to list the co:.c:nercia'l purposes for ;vhkh
its front rooms or ~ ~ 1of - t its front aas used for years.
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dexanaer 2. Cooper, writing in 19CS scid tnat utll about
19S5, the hoase stood in its ze~era: aatlines zs it had stood for
yews, but .:ias in a very dsle~idatcd cmditlon, znd sas >ulled
down about that time, except for its founsatlans c.26 about 6 feet
of its front wall. The 2hot0gra;:~h taken in the 135Cfs, recently
discovered by Zir. Thomas ?olcon?b, shows the aelapidated condition,
and also the arched wall rdlich then closed in the alleyway that in
b 1803 led to the well at the back.
The present house, built for LIrs. Csrolyn flogers, after she
acquired the plot in 1909, by jLr. Lzussat Rogers, was not built
upon the exact site or foundations of the original Tile house,
the north wall of mhich had been used as a party wall by Gr. Jmes
11:cCallnont who built #56 the Strand before 1800. An alley-viay was
left between the new Rogers house and the house formerly of Dr.
McCelloont. The Rogers hguse has been remodelled, since it ass
first built, into its present forx.

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(Plot 11, continued)
i:cArthur bits, formerly on the
South 25 feet of Tile house lot
No i~dicetion has been found in the records that a dwellin;;
or shop had Se9n built on the prt of the Tile house lot south
of that house before 1603 when .illizx -\rastrong, innkea?er, hsv-
ing bought the vrhoie Tile hodse 2ro2e1-t:. nG;;i diirided it;, selling
the Tile house on a 36' lot, to hnn Xeates, and selling the re-
~aining 25' by 39' deep, t9 Daniel :.:cArthur. The lack of mention
does not establish the absence 3f a building, however, and the
price, $500, for this sxall l~t (v~ith use of the Tile h3u5 e alley
and well) could have covered a building of some kind in the year
of the purchase, 1803. Three years later, 1806, Daniel l:cArthur
ssld the property as I1house and lot n for $1,000, to ktkinson and
Thomas Rose. Thomas bought ktkinson's share for $500, and in
1809 Thomas Rose, merchant, sold the property "beginning at the
corner of Zillim Armstrong s dwelling house and tavern" and
bounded north by the Tile house, far $2,000. The purchaser named,
':Lewis Rush n of ?hiladelphia, has not been found in any other in-
dentures to date, and further search will be made later. The
property is mentioned in 1824 by Dr. Jmes Cooper 3r. (who then
ovmed Nil1 iam Lrxs trong ' a former "dwelling home and tavern n next
door) as having escaped the fire. lhether Dr. Cooper owned this
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house also has not been discovered.
hhether the house shown on the smith 25' of the original Tile
house site, in the photograph taken about 1880, is the same 8s the

~nporzance or ILS preueoe~su~-s GI~UUAL UG uLuwv uU
Lty of reconstructing the Tile house and perhqs
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