Benjamin Bowen House

The Benjamin Bowen House (also known as What Cheer Hall) is a historic house located at 7482 Main Street in Newport, Herkimer County, New York.

Benjamin Bowen House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Benjamin Bowen House, July 2010
Location	7482 Main St., Newport, New York
Coordinates	43°11′16″N 75°3′9″W
Area	1.3 acres (0.53 ha)
Built	1812
Architectural style	Federal
NRHP reference No.	98001342[1]
Added to NRHP	November 5, 1998

Description and history

It is a two-story, nearly square limestone block residence in the Federal style, and was built in 1812 by Benjamin Bowen (1759-1824) who came from Rhode Island with the financial backing of his brothers, Dr. William Bowen and Ephraim Bowen Esq. to establish a saw mill, a grist mill, a distillery, and the Newport Cotton Manufacturing Co. along the banks of the West Canada Creek using a dam and diversion canal. Bowen left Newport for Tennessee after suffering financial losses in 1815. His daughter, Lydia, eventually acquired the property and it was subsequently passed down through the generations through her oldest stepson, Standish Barry Jr., until 1944. Since then the house has had a new family about every ten years.[2]

The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 5, 1998.[1] Also on the property is a stone smokehouse.[2]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. Raymond W. Smith (September 1998). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Benjamin Bowen House". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2010-01-14. See also: "Accompanying nine photos".