GULIAN VERPLANCK HOUSE — BEACON, N. Y. by William E. Verplanck Mr. Verplanck, now deceased, was the grandfather of Bache Bleecker and the last Verplanck to inhabit the old residence. This article was, of course, written some years ago.
The date of the erection of this house I am unable to state, for no record remains. It is possible that it was placed in the north gable like the other old Verplanck mansion at Fishkill Plains, built in 1768, and that when the new part was built on Mt. Gulian in 1804, the date was displaced. Dates as early as 1680 to 1700 have been assigned for its building, but as the Wappinger Indians did not sell to Rombout and Verplanck until 1683, and the patent of King James II and the first partition in Queen Anne's time were much later, I have discarded them all and chosen a period when the land whereon the 'old house stands became the property of a single individual. This was not until 1725-30 owing to minorities in one branch of the family and other circumstances which made it hardly likely that any house should be built here prior to that period. The Wappinger Indians from whom the land was purchased were a part of the Six Nations and lived along the east bank of the Hudson almost as far as New York Island. Rombout and Verplanck were fur traders in that city with operations extending into New England and as far south as Virginia, as we know from G. Verplanck's journal. Rombout was of French origin. Neither he nor Rombout ever came here to live. The land was bought for its fur bearing animals from Indians who gave a deed of the property extending from Fishkill — a point 500 rods — north to Wappinger Creek, 8 x 16 miles. In 1706, the land — about 80,000 acres — was first partitioned into 3 great river lots extending to eastern limits — 21/ 2 x 16 miles, and 3 smaller lots, the latter on north side of Wappinger Creek. By that time Rombout had died, leaving one child, a daughter, Catharine, his sole heiress, who had married Roger Brett a Lieutenant in British navy and a friend of Lord Cornbury then governor of the Province of New York. He was a cousin of Queen Anne and looked so much like her that he at times amused himself by donning female attire and showing himself at the governor's house, a vain man and not over scrupulous, like many of the colonial governors, and quite unlike Queen Anne. There were exceptions — very few — Dongan and Montgomery both, and Coote, later Earl of Bellamont — but this is a digression. Van Cortlandt, a copatentee, too was dead and so was Gulian Verplanck and his widow married to Jacob Kip. There were minor children. Brett wanted the land divided and it was done. Madame Van Cortlandt vainly opposed with all her power. The Verplanck minors were unrepresented and without a guardian ad litem as is now the practise in equity. This partition was done on the law side of the court — no court of chancery then being in the province — as we know from the inquisition of the Sheriff and his 12 assessors. There is an old document that shows it — Dutchess and Ulster had one sheriff then. I should have said that the old Indian deed and patent are no longer in existence, but they were placed upon record very early — over two centuries ago. The only Indian conveyance in the family that I know of is 35
