William Bull III House

The William Bull III House is on a hill overlooking the Wallkill River in the Town of Wallkill in Orange County, New York. It was built by Bull, an early settler of the region, sometime in the 1780s. Bull and his son William IV, on returning home from serving with Gen. George Washington's campaign against the British, had been impressed with the buildings of Baltimore and other Atlantic seaports visited during his military service. The name "Brick Castle" is shared among a few early brick homes constructed in the area around the same time. Bull, himself a stonemason by trade, decided upon arriving home to build a brick homestead. He is also known for having constructed Gen. Washington's headquarters at Newburgh, NY.[2]

William Bull III House
The Bull House in early 2007
LocationBart Bull Rd.,
Town of Wallkill, NY
Nearest cityMiddletown
Coordinates41°28′22″N 74°17′11″W
Area113.8 acres (46.1 ha)
Builtc. 1780 (1780)
Architectural styleGreek Revival, Federal
NRHP reference No.86002772[1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 25, 1986

Most of the materials for Bull's Brick Castle were taken from the land around the farm, including the clay. Ostensibly the brick kilns were built on site, but remains have to yet to be recovered. A New York State Historical Register sign on the site states that the building was constructed "for a price of $800.00." This statement has never been verified, nor what construction costs it actually covered. The original homestead was a timber cabin with stone foundations. No portions of the original structure are visible. William Bull's descendants were dairy farmers, and the property was maintained as a dairy farm until 1964. Only one other historic structure, an 1830s carriage house, remains on the property. The other outbuildings were destroyed in by fire in 1964. Six generations of the family have lived there, and it remains a private residence for Bull's descendants today.[2]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 25, 1986.[1]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)" (Searchable database). New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2016-02-01. Note: This includes Steven S. Levy (January 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: William Bull III House" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-02-01. and Accompanying photographs
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