THE HOUSES THEY LIVED IN

Between the villages of Plessis and Redwood on the quiet country road that connects these two communities, this fine old native sandstone house is located. The environment is one of rural beauty and contentment. It is a place for a poet, a painter, or a composer of music.

Through the countryside it is known as the George Augsbury farm. In reality it dates back further than that, to Asa E. Newman, one of the early settlers of that area, who is believed to have built the house in 1826-1827.

Asa E. Newman was the son of Abraham Newman, a Revolutionary War veteran, native of Stafford, Conn., who enlisted in the Colonial army in 1776 and served three years. In 1789 Abraham removed to Otsego County, transferred from there to Alexandria in1820 and died June 19, 1841.

On June 29, 1826 Asa E. Newman purchased 100 acres, first and largest of the original five parcels in this farm, from Francis Depau, New York City merchand and north country landowner, for whom Depauville is named. It is likely that Newman began construction of this house about that time, and in connection with this first deed it is interesting to note that Alexander LeRay, son of James D. LeRay de Chaumont, and for whom the town of Alexandria was named, acted as attorney for Depau and for his father, who also had an interest in the plot.

The second parcel of the farm, 56.07 acres was bought by Newman from Francis and Silvie De Grasse Depau Feb. 15, 1836. Then on May 10, 1841, Depau's executors sold 19.30 acres to Newman.

From the Depau estate Asa E. Newman purchased parcels of 47.31 acres and 4.70 acres on April 14, 1845. Then on July 2, 1849 Newman disposed of the farm to George W. Clark and Edwin H. Tanner for $3,000, removing to Addison, Steuben County.

Clark and Tanner sold to Charles Welch for $4,000 on Feb. 14, 1850. On Dec. 10, 1853 Welch and wife, Harriet conveyed the property to George Augsbury, then of the town of Theresa, for $5,000.

Mr. Augsbury resided there until Feb. 27, 1888 when he died intestate leaving three children, George Wilson Augsbury, Mrs. Byron (Belona) Ostrander and Mrs. James (Corintha) Dillen. George Wilson Augsbury, long a member of the Plessis old stone store mercantile firm of Augsbury & Wilcox, was named administrator of his father's estate.

On March 28 Mrs. Belona Ostrander sold her one-third interest in the farm to her brother and sister for $4,000 and on Feb 25, 1891, the latter, Mrs. Corintha Dillon conveyed her half interest to her brother for $6,000.

George Wilson Augsbury was married to Sarah J. Stone, daughter of Loren and Janet Stinson Stone of Moon Lake, in 1875 and shortly after that they removed to Plessis where he became a merchant. They had three sons, Theodore, Morristown druggist; Earl, New York City teacher, and Reid, an Atlanta, Ga., business man.

In 1930 George Wilson Augsbury died and on Nov. 13, 1941 his widow passed away at the home of her son, Theodore, in Morristown. On Sept. 1, 1943 Theodore B. Augsbury individually and as administrator of his father's estate, W. Reid Augsbury, then of Redwood, and Earl S. Augsbury of Woodmere, L.I., sold the farm to Henry and Lottie Zimmer, the present owners

The farm as now constituted consists of 350 acres and a herd of 35 Holstein cattle. It is one of the best operated dairy farms in that section of the county and the old stone house is maintained in spic and span condition.

© Nan Dixon, 2001