2017.03.16 _ John C. Hart Memorial Library / Hyatt House
Dublin Core
Title
2017.03.16 _ John C. Hart Memorial Library / Hyatt House
Subject
Public Library--Building--Heritgage
Description
A detail account of the John C. Hart Memorial Library as a cultural heritage in Yorktown, NY.
Creator
n/a
Source
"John C. Hart Memorial Library News clips" Binder, Volume 3, 1991 -
Publisher
Yorktown News
Date
2017-03-16
Contributor
Milanese, Nancy (Photo Credit)
Rights
This item is made available for research and educational purposes by the John C. Hart Memorial Library. Rights status is not evaluated.
Format
PDF
Language
English
Type
Text
Coverage
Shrub Oak (New York)
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
It would be extremely difficult to find any- one in Yorktown who does not treasure the John C. l lart Memorial Library in Shrub Q,ik. Generations of children have enjoyed ~tm y hourn there; the reading room is con- ~tantly in use; and the local history section is a trove of information for curious Yor- ktown residents. But, for years before John Coleridge Hart's daughter, Catherine Dress- ei; bequeathed the building to the town in 1919 for use as a library, it was a stately 15- room home surrounded by lush specimen plantings and more than 50 varieties of trees. Today, even though it is an extremely active, functioning library, it is one of Yorktown's Homes of Historic Distinction.
Its history; however, begins much earlier. Almost 300 years ago, the 48-acre prop- erty, like almost everything in Westchester and Putnam counties, was owned by the Van Cortlandts. The site was first rented as a tenant farm by the Hyatt family, and eventually purchased by Revolutionary War Col. John Hyatt. The Hyatt family was so illustrious at the time that the town-now Shrub Oak-was called Hyatt's Plain. An old Van Cortlandt-era house, where Hy- att may have entertained Washington and Lafayette, originally sat near the spring on the property. Around the turn of the 18th century, Col. Hyatt and his family built a new house where the Hyatt family lived for generations.
In 1854, John Hart, who was born in Shrub Oak in 1822, but became wealthy as a pharmacist in New York City, purchased the, house from his brother-in-law, John Hyatt. Hart used the place as a summer residence for years, and remodeled it in the Italianate style popular in the 1850s and 1860s. Hart and his family moved to Shrub Oa,k full time in 1864. He became an ac- tive citizen of the community, contributing generously to the building of the Shrub Oak Methodist Church and maintaining The John C. Hart Memorial Library an avid interest in local schools. "Uncle Coleridge", as he was called by nephews and nieces, (He was related to the British poet and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge,) died in 1871 at 49 years of age. His wife and daughters lived on in the home, but at Catherine Dresser's dea'th in 1916, family fortunes had greatly depleted and she was ll:ving in only a few rooms of the house.
By the time of Dresser's bequest to the town, all that was left of the estate were the buildings and acreage, along with an $8,000 mortgage, back taxes and other debts. The prospect of creating a library was a daunt- ing one, but in 1919, the town ofYorktown passed a resolution and the John C. Hart Memorial Library became a, reality. In the early years, the librarian (and family) lived in the house and served as caretaker. Dur- ing the 1930s, the Shrub Oak School Dis- trict rented the first floor rooms for a kindergarten; providing much-needed funds to maintain the property.
In 1969, the library was closed so that an addition could be built onto the original homestead, and further renovations were completed in 1988-89, removing a 19th centuri addition but leaving the original fa<;:ade and carefully recreating facsimiles of the original windows and walls. Today, although much of the John C. Hart Memorial Library is a reconstruction, it blends in seam- lessly with the other historic structures on Main Street, maintaining the timeless quality of the beautiful hamlet of Shrub Oak.
The Yorktown Landmarks Preservation Commission is always seeking applicants for the Homes of Historic Distinction Program. To qualify, homes must have historical significance based on age, architectural style, past ownership or association with a person or event important to Yorktown's history: Through the program, plaques des- ignating the basic facts about each house's history are fabricated and installed on or near the home. The commission will work with each homeowner on appropriate wording for the plaque and will assist in research. The cost for the application and the ' plaque is $100. Applications are available online at yorktownny.org/planning or by emailing nmilanese@yorktownny.org.
This article wa.s submitted by the Yorktown Landmarks Preservation Commission as part of a series highlighting Yorktown Homes of Historic Distinction.
Its history; however, begins much earlier. Almost 300 years ago, the 48-acre prop- erty, like almost everything in Westchester and Putnam counties, was owned by the Van Cortlandts. The site was first rented as a tenant farm by the Hyatt family, and eventually purchased by Revolutionary War Col. John Hyatt. The Hyatt family was so illustrious at the time that the town-now Shrub Oak-was called Hyatt's Plain. An old Van Cortlandt-era house, where Hy- att may have entertained Washington and Lafayette, originally sat near the spring on the property. Around the turn of the 18th century, Col. Hyatt and his family built a new house where the Hyatt family lived for generations.
In 1854, John Hart, who was born in Shrub Oak in 1822, but became wealthy as a pharmacist in New York City, purchased the, house from his brother-in-law, John Hyatt. Hart used the place as a summer residence for years, and remodeled it in the Italianate style popular in the 1850s and 1860s. Hart and his family moved to Shrub Oa,k full time in 1864. He became an ac- tive citizen of the community, contributing generously to the building of the Shrub Oak Methodist Church and maintaining The John C. Hart Memorial Library an avid interest in local schools. "Uncle Coleridge", as he was called by nephews and nieces, (He was related to the British poet and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge,) died in 1871 at 49 years of age. His wife and daughters lived on in the home, but at Catherine Dresser's dea'th in 1916, family fortunes had greatly depleted and she was ll:ving in only a few rooms of the house.
By the time of Dresser's bequest to the town, all that was left of the estate were the buildings and acreage, along with an $8,000 mortgage, back taxes and other debts. The prospect of creating a library was a daunt- ing one, but in 1919, the town ofYorktown passed a resolution and the John C. Hart Memorial Library became a, reality. In the early years, the librarian (and family) lived in the house and served as caretaker. Dur- ing the 1930s, the Shrub Oak School Dis- trict rented the first floor rooms for a kindergarten; providing much-needed funds to maintain the property.
In 1969, the library was closed so that an addition could be built onto the original homestead, and further renovations were completed in 1988-89, removing a 19th centuri addition but leaving the original fa<;:ade and carefully recreating facsimiles of the original windows and walls. Today, although much of the John C. Hart Memorial Library is a reconstruction, it blends in seam- lessly with the other historic structures on Main Street, maintaining the timeless quality of the beautiful hamlet of Shrub Oak.
The Yorktown Landmarks Preservation Commission is always seeking applicants for the Homes of Historic Distinction Program. To qualify, homes must have historical significance based on age, architectural style, past ownership or association with a person or event important to Yorktown's history: Through the program, plaques des- ignating the basic facts about each house's history are fabricated and installed on or near the home. The commission will work with each homeowner on appropriate wording for the plaque and will assist in research. The cost for the application and the ' plaque is $100. Applications are available online at yorktownny.org/planning or by emailing nmilanese@yorktownny.org.
This article wa.s submitted by the Yorktown Landmarks Preservation Commission as part of a series highlighting Yorktown Homes of Historic Distinction.
Original Format
News Clippings
Files
Citation
n/a, “2017.03.16 _ John C. Hart Memorial Library / Hyatt House,” John C Hart Library Archive, accessed May 5, 2024, https://hartarchive.omeka.net/items/show/7.