Own a Colonial Tavern in Purchase, New York

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While we’ll never know for sure, one could certainly imagine Revolutionary War soldiers – and colonial townspeople – mingling around and in what was known as the Purchase Tavern, built in 1770.

After all, the hamlet that is part Harrison, New York, was the site of several skirmishes and battles, including 

And it was home to both those loyal to the crown, and patriots. In 1775, when the Continental Congress called for New York to raise four regiments, one of those was raised from Harrison, and two more from nearby Rye, as part of the Second Battalion of Westchester County. 

“The hills of West Harrison were geographically perfect for hiding ammunition stores,” said an article about the area’s history found in Patch. “George Washington’s soldiers kept supplies here, which they would then move, by boat up the Hudson River to Tarrytown, then load onto ox carts to take cross country.”

Those stores created the scenario for a two-day battle between colonists and British redcoats at the Horton Grist Mill, when British soldiers tried to raid supplies stored there. 

Merritt Hill saw one of the last rounds of the Battle of White Plains in 1776. 

The grave of Revolutionary War general Thomas Thomas is located at the State University of New York-Purchase grounds – which occupies what was once a dairy farm. In fact, Thomas’s house was surrendered to the British in 1778, and he was captured and taken to Long Island, before a daring escape. 

His father, Judge John Thomas, read the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the courthouse in adjacent White Plains on July 11, 1776.

The town was founded, the legend has it, when Englishman John Harrison and four partners bought a stretch of land in what would become known as Harrison’s Purchase. Purchase Street, where this week’s historical shelter sits, was originally part of a footpath that connected Rye Lake to Long Island Sound. 

The first settlers appeared around 1724, and by 1727, the Quakers had established their first meeting house. 

And our historical shelter this week came around about 45 years later, and about six years before Judge Thomas read the Declaration of Independence aloud to area residents for the first time. 

Once known as the Purchase Tavern, this Revolutionary War-era home’s owners have clearly taken pains to honor its rich history while still creating space for modern creature comforts. 

The home still boasts the original wide-planked floors and three original fireplaces, but it also can lay claim to custom millwork that seamlessly blends in with the historic elements of the home, as well as a generous kitchen with plenty of room for creating sumptuous meals while enjoying a gorgeous view of the rolling, green lawn and stone terrace. 

Formal rooms provide plenty of open space for entertaining, and a new, sunny family room with cathedral ceilings feels like it was there all along. 

The five bedrooms also embrace the historic provenance of the home, too, with wood flooring, and in some cases, fireplaces. 

The home is priced at $1,795,000, and is listed by Christine Hazelton with Houlihan Lawrence. Want to see more? Check out the listing here.

Bethany Erickson

Bethany Erickson