#countyhouse

[yatescountyhistorycenter]

The poor shall inherit the mansion

By Jonathan Monfiletto

For nearly 100 years, from just a few years after Yates County was formally established until the early 1920s, the Yates County Poor House – with a 200-acre farm whose products helped finance the cost of its operations and maintenance – stood, appropriately enough, on County House Road in the town of Jerusalem. In June 1922, though, a fire destroyed the nearly 50-year-old building, newly built in 1877, and the 34 inmates at the time were relocated to county homes in nearby counties.

Of course, that meant the county needed a new home for its “unfortunate and indigent” residents, as the original resolution stated the home’s purpose. The county Board of Supervisors soon had its answer in one of the most elegant mansions overlooking the west branch of Keuka Lake. A month after the fire, according to an article in the July 14, 1922 edition of the Penn Yan Democrat, the board closed a deal with Clinton B. Struble to purchase the Esperanza property near Branchport for $30,000.

The board met at a special meeting on Saturday, July 8, 1922 to approve the purchase, which it did in an 8-1 vote. According to the July 14, 1922 edition of the Rushville Chronicle & Gorham New Age, the supervisors gave their approval after “a thorough investigation of Esperanza” in company with Dr. Hill, of Albany, Superintendent of the New York State Board of Charities. Dr. Hill had inspected the buildings and property two days before and approved of the location. He promptly submitted the proposition to the State Board for a final decision.

Dr. Hill “seemed well pleased with Esperanza,” according to the Rushville Chronicle, but informed the supervisors they should plan on a building with fireproof walls and floors if they decided to rebuild on the site of the former county home. Planning to accommodate up to 50 inmates, such a project could cost close to $100,000 ($1.8 million in today’s money). Meanwhile, Struble had offered Esperanza – a home that “has been for sale for a long time,” according to the Democrat – to the county for much less than the cost to reconstruct the former home.

The purchase included the mansion home and about 50 acres of land, a packing house that could be used as a hospital for tuberculosis patients, and a reservoir that supplied ample water to the home. The sale did not include a vineyard or lakefront property. A noted advantage of the property was its location along a state road with daily trolley service along the Penn Yan, Keuka Park, and Branchport Railway. Because of this, the home was easily accessible to and from Penn Yan and Branchport.

The county planned to take possession of Esperanza on August 1. The Colonial-style mansion, according to the Democrat, contains 15 rooms with 12-foot ceilings. Before any inmates moved in, however, the county needed to install plumbing, electric lights, and a heating plant. The heating boiler from the former home was to be used, and electric current could be drawn from the trolley. Some of the rooms were to be divided by partitions to accommodate 40 inmates. Work began in October 1922, according to the May 4, 1933 edition of The Chronicle-Express, and finished within a year.

According to an article in the December 13, 1922 edition of the Yates County Chronicle, the construction involved additions and alterations such as a 20x65 dormitory, a 27x28 annex, and laundry cement cisterns as well as interior work. A balcony was built over the front porch, and the interior was remodeled according to the standards of the state for bathrooms, sleeping rooms, library, kitchen, and dining rooms to “provide the greatest possible comfort and safety of the occupants,” reported The Chronicle-Express.

B.F. Rogers, the contractor for the project, expected to have the building ready for occupancy by March 1, 1923 and completed by June 1. When complete, the building was to have room for 34 men and 21 women and “will be an ideal county home,” according to the Yates County Chronicle.

Rogers’ contract amounted to $37,300 and called for the complete work of the building and the heating and lighting equipment. The Yates County Chronicle reported supervisors had authorized the county treasurer to borrow $50,000 to complete the new county home. The county planned to offset the cost of the purchase and the construction by selling the property of the former county home. The barns and the walls of the home were left standing after the fire, and a tenant house and barn across the road also made up the altogether 215 acres of the property.

After almost a century on the road named for its location, the county house at Esperanza lasted just 25 years. According to a November 13, 1947 newspaper article, the supervisors authorized the welfare commissioner at Esperanza to discontinue the county home. The commissioner had previously been authorized to take no more admissions; there were only two inmates at the time, yet the house was kept up with the help of a housekeeper, a cook, and a furnace man who doubled as caretaker.

The commissioner had been placing other inmates, previously housed at Esperanza, in outside venues for several months. The county had found it was less expensive to have its needy residents cared for in private homes or nursing homes than to keep up the buildings and grounds at Esperanza.

On December 31, 1952, the supervisors approved selling the 50-acre site with three homes and a barn to Roger Fulkerson, of Starkey, for $11,200. The Fulkersons’ plans for the property went undisclosed at the time. However, the following month, the county attorney deemed that sale illegal, citing a recently enacted law requiring county-owned property to be sold through certain procedures involving a publicly advertised sale.

Thus, the supervisors authorized a public auction sale to take place January 19, 1953 on the steps of the county courthouse, with the Esperanza property being sold to the highest bidder. No bid could be refused at that time, though irresponsible bidding was mitigated with a requirement that 10 percent of the amount of the bid had to be posted at the time of its acceptance at the sale.

Garrett E. Bacorn, of Elmira, became the new owner of the Esperanza property with a winning bid of $12,500. He already owned the site of the former county home on County House Road and had extensively improved that property. At the time, Bacorn said he had a large family and would keep Esperanza for private use.

At the time of its sale, Esperanza had stood empty for five years. Now, the property went back into the hands of a private individual and onto the tax rolls for the first time in 30 years.

[shamelessrascalbonkcookie]

Working in progress #countyhouse #refurbishment #interiordesign #photographer #art (presso Venice, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmPIdthtbnj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[monavalenza]

Decorating my French home’s foyer. #decor #decoration #chateau #frenchstyle #castle #palace #ootd #elegant #weekend #countyhouse #countrylife #farmstyle #dreams #housegoals #lawofattraction #visionboard #agirlcandream #fun #interiordesign (at Chicago, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEcebiXhBu8/?igshid=7ngzxthdqbbb

[lelooz]

By me .. using toothpicks and glue🙌✌ #countyhouse #art #toothpicks #flowers #home

[dannyscleaning]

House Cleaning Maid Housekeepers Columbia Ellicott City Howard County

House cleaning maid and housekeeper services over 15 years. Serving Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard Counties, Annapolis Junction, Clarksville, Columbia, Elkridge, Ellicott City, Jessup, Laurel, Savage, Woodbine, Woodstock.  

[miatamme111]

countyhouse

[cnopticsblog]

If you need a friend in the Property Clean Out Business you just found him, or more accurately, you just found THEM....Your Clean Out Guys are a team of professionals that pride themselves on taking the dirty jobs seriously, and like with any team each member brings their unique set of skills to the table. @ https://www.yourcleanoutguys.com/

[funkyj7777]

a Snow story ⛄️❄️ by #dimitrisiamwhatiam 👌🏼#snowy #night #countyhouse #christmasseason #snowfield #dream #goodnight #instalike #instagood #instamood (στην τοποθεσία Central Greece)

[nyasoofy]

[forkandrose]

#forkandrose in #watermill slowly opening its doors one day at a time. #napkins #placemats #tablelinen #stoneware #glassware #soycandles #turkishtowels #antiques #woodplates #vintage #throwpillows #hamptonsstyle #interiordecor #hamptonslife #thehamptons #beachlife #hamptons #southampton #bridgehampton #sagharbor #sagaponack #wainscott #easthampton #amagansett #montauk #southfork #longisland #eastend #montaukhwy #beachhouse #countyhouse #hamptonshouse #hamptonstyle #hamptonsliving #hamptonsrealestate #hamptonsinteriors (at Fork & Rose)

[youryanina]

Больше всего люблю дачу осенью. Это волшебное буйство цвета! Недавно прочитала цитату А.Камю "Осень- это вторая весна, когда каждый лист - цветок." Мне кажется, лучше фразы про осень не найти. #village #autumn #view #дача #дачныйсезон #дачныйстиль #country #countyhouse #smile #sunshine #mybeautifullautumn #instamoment #unforgettablemoments #instdaily #instagood #instaframe #me #instasize #vscocam #vscogallery #vscogrid #vscomoscow #vscorussia

[crilu-dreamer]

#100happydays #day44 Noi ci rifugiamo in campagna :-) @giulsricci_ @giadadepoli #countryside #countyhouse #friends #lovely #fun #runaway #sonice

[charlottad]

#Scandinavian #midsummer #light #blueskye #candlelight #freemover #freemoverdesign #rolf #rolfstager #candlesticks #scandinaviandesign #hygge #kos #mysigt #cosy #harmony #countyhouse #hytta #stue #stuga #seaview #feelinghappy #interior #celebratingten

[lifenoir]

Bakas house #interior #countyhouse #flowers #painting #decor #bakashouse

[youryanina]

Брусника. #брусника #cowberry #country #countyhouse #дача #дачныйсезон #дачныйстиль #лето #олето #чтоможетбытьлучше #вотонотакоенашелето #unforgettablemoments #inspiration #instaframe #instamoment #instalike #journey #instagood #instasize #vscogallery #vscocam #vscovillage #vscorussia