The William Bull III House is on a hill overlooking the
Wallkill River in the
Town of Wallkill in
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
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Film and television
* '' ...
. It was built by Bull, who was the grandson of early settlers
Sarah Wells and William Bull, sometime in the 1780s. William Bull III was a lieutenant in the
American Revolution under
Col. Oliver Spencer and was at
Valley Forge. He received a
brevet commission for merit from
Lord Sterling
Jeffrey Maurice Sterling, Baron Sterling of Plaistow, (born 27 December 1934 in Stepney, London) is a British businessman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative peer. The Plaistow referred to is Plaistow, West Sussex, reflected in the land ...
after the
Battle of Monmouth
The Battle of Monmouth, also known as the Battle of Monmouth Court House, was fought near Monmouth Court House in modern-day Freehold Borough, New Jersey on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It pitted the Continental Army, co ...
.
Bull and his son William IV, on returning home in 1781 from serving with Gen.
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
'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 decided upon arriving home to build a brick homestead. Bull's grandfather built many stone houses through the area including
Knox Headquarters in Vails Gate in 1756. It is possible that the elder Bull also contributed to construction of is
Gen. Washington's headquarters at Newburgh, NY.
[
''Note:'' This includes
an]
''Accompanying photographs''
/ref> The Bull Stone House, which the elder Bull began to build in 1722 and took 13 years to complete, still stands today and is owned and occupied by his descendants.
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.
References
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
Houses in Orange County, New York
National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, New York
Houses completed in 1780
Wallkill River
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