1.0 History of Stone House Farm The Gerard Crane House is located on Somerstown Turnpike opposite Old Croton Falls Road in Somers, New York, United States. It is a stone house dating to the mid-19th century, built by an early circus entrepreneur in his later years. The house itself is an unusually sophisticated late application of the Greek Revival architectural style. The interior features a high level of decoration, particularly English Renaissance-style plaster moldings on the ceilings that are not commonly found in rural Greek Revival houses. It is the center of a 30-acre estate that includes not only the original outbuildings but an original section of Somerstown Turnpike and one of its mileposts. Gerard Crane 1853 It remains largely as it was originally built. In 1985 the area was designated a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the northernmost such listing in Westchester County. Crane and his brother Thaddeus, descendants of a colonel in the Revolutionary War, moved to Somers from their hometown, nearby North Salem, in 1823. They had become active in the new business of exhibiting exotic animals, and records show that they had taken a lion to the Carolinas three years earlier. They bought land from Hachaliah Bailey, whose exhibition of Old Bet at the building now known as the Elephant Hotel is considered the beginning of the circus in America, that they would later build on. They added to their menagerie, got partners, and exhibited as far as west as the Mississippi River. They were among the founders of an early trade organization called the Zoological Institute, which collapsed in the Panic of 1837. Crane himself was more fortunate; he served as a director, and later president of a local bank, and had just concluded four years as town supervisor at the outset of the panic. In 1849, having married Roxana Purdy, he had the house built. Its extensive detailing and finely crafted stonework are features of a country manor house in the highest Greek Revival tradition. The English Renaissance-style molded plasterwork on the first floor ceilings, common in urban homes of this type but rare in rural variants, reflects Crane’s cosmopolitan tastes. 1.1 Mission Stone House 2016 The mission of Stone House Farm is to be the premier event and wedding venue in Northern Westchester. We are dedicated to setting the highest standard for event management by providing exceptional service, meticulous planning, award winning dining, and superior facilities. Offering a community-focused event venue where local residents can also gather together as members of the community to enjoy the house, barn, it’s history and grounds. In this way, Stone House Farm can continue its legacy as an important historic property while beginning a new chapter in its long history. The next year’s census shows the Cranes at that address, with their six children and one other woman. He died in 1872. The house and estate have remained a private residence since then. Other than the barn’s gambrel roof and the conversion of the main house’s music room into a kitchen during the 1980s, there have been no significant alterations to the property. Mile Marker on Stone Farm Page 4 Stone House Farm Stone House Farm Page 5