The Benjamin Bowen House (also known as What Cheer Hall) is a historic house located at 7482 Main Street in

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...

Description and history

It is a two-story, nearly square limestone block residence in the Federal style, and was built in 1812 by Benjamin Bowen (1759-1824) who came from Rhode Island with the financial backing of his brothers, Dr. William Bowen and Ephraim Bowen Esq. to establish a saw mill, a grist mill, a distillery, and the Newport Cotton Manufacturing Co. along the banks of the West Canada Creek using a dam and diversion canal. Bowen left

for Tennessee after suffering financial losses in 1815. His daughter, Lydia, eventually acquired the property and it was subsequently passed down through the generations through her oldest stepson, Standish Barry Jr., until 1944. Since then the house has had a new family about every ten years. ''See also:'' The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 5, 1998. Also on the property is a stone smokehouse.

References

Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Federal architecture in New York (state) Houses completed in 1812 Houses in Herkimer County, New York National Register of Historic Places in Herkimer County, New York {{HerkimerCountyNY-NRHP-stub