The Hasbroucks of Locust Lawn

The Hasbroucks of Locust Lawn

For my internship this semester, I have the opportunity to work with the New Paltz Town Historian, Susan Stessin-Cohn, on an online exhibit which will focus on the lives of the Hasbroucks of Locust Lawn.

In the early 1800’s Josiah Hasbrouck, a descendant of Jean Hasbrouck, chose to move his family from a small stone house in New Paltz to a large plot of land in Gardiner, NY. This sprawling farm complex would eventually be known as Locust Lawn, which featured a Federal era house, as well as several barns and additional outbuildings. I believe that it is important to note right away that according to the 1810 census, there were four enslaved Africans living with the Hasbrouck family at the Jean/Jacob Hasbrouck House. By 1820, when the family had moved to Locust Lawn, the number of enslaved individuals working the farm complex had swelled to 14; 5 males and 3 females under the age of 14, and 2 males and 2 females between the ages of 26 and 44. I want to make it clear that while the Hasbrouck’s of Locust Lawn are the focus of this exhibit, they are not the people who were working and maintaining the farm.

Locust Lawn, completed in 1814, would be a symbol of the areas rural tradition while simultaneously expressing the social progress of the era; a dichotomy that Josiah seemed to embody as a descendant of one of the original New Paltz patentees, a Revolutionary War veteran, and a U.S. Congressman. By 1817, Josiah’s son Levi Hasbrouck, had assumed responsibility of the farm. Upon Josiah’s death in 1821, he inherited the estate and it became the permanent home of Levi, his wife Hylah Bevier, and their children; Josiah, Sarah Maria, Ann, Laura, and Louisa. It is this family that made the estate into a prominent home that welcomed many friends and guests throughout the years. Ownership of the property passed from Levi to his only surviving son, Josiah Hasbrouck, named after his grandfather. After Josiah’s management of the farm and his untimely death in 1884, the house was vacated by the family.

Using photographs, letters and other archival materials, this exhibit will examine a talented and energetic family whose history goes back to the earliest days of settlement in New Paltz and offers viewers a glimpse of the family’s handiwork and their personal possessions: sewing kits and baskets, trinket boxes, puzzles and games, books, clothing and linens – all identified in tidy script or, in the case of the textiles, “marked” in carefully executed cross-stitch. Many items were packed in trunks, tucked away in drawers and nestled into baskets, wrapped in newspapers, pillowcases and old towels. Susan has often told me that when she was first cataloging the items in the house, it was incredible to open drawers and find things as the family had left them, often with names and dates written on them! It’s almost as if this family knew that there house would one day be a museum! These personal and documented possessions belonged to real people who lived locally, and are treasures that tell us the story of a mid-19th century Hudson Valley family.

Today, the mansion serves as a museum where one can see the original pieces that have remained in place since the house was vacated. Some of the artifacts can be matched to those  featured in portraits and photographs. It is through the display of these possessions, many of which are handmade and initialed, that the museum presents to the public the lives of the Hasbrouck’s of Locust Lawn.

As an intern, my work will include reading and transcribing many of the letters and documents written by members of the family, writing biographies and introductions for the exhibit site, and doing research on a specific artifact from the collection. My overall goal this semester will be to get to know this family through the possessions that they have left behind and create a way to share what I learn with the public.