Essex on Lake Champlain
\"Essex
  • About
    • Essex, New York (Town)
      • Essex Maps
      • Essex, New York Weather
      • Town of Essex Government
      • Close
    • Essex on Lake Champlain (Blog)
      • Contributors
      • Sponsors
      • Testimonials
      • Get Involved
      • Close
    • Close
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Calendar
    • Add an Event
    • Upcoming Events
    • Close
  • Essex on Lake Champlain
  • Connect
    • Social Media
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Google +
      • Pinterest
      • YouTube
      • Flickr
    • Newsletters
    • GET INVOLVED
    • CONTACT
        • Your Name (required)

          Your Email (required)

          Subject (required)

          Your Message

      • Close
    • Shop
    • Search
        • Search
          • Close
        • Categories
            • Agriculture (518)
            • Architecture (76)
            • Arts (357)
            • Business (122)
            • Daily Doodle (62)
            • Dining (151)
            • Doodle Quotes (5)
            • Doodlebomb (3)
            • Education (298)
            • Entertainment (373)
            • Environment (28)
            • Essex Doodles (62)
            • Events (1712)
            • Exercise (54)
            • Government (247)
            • Health & Wellness (135)
            • Heritage (397)
            • History (183)
            • Hyperlocal (29)
            • Landscape (35)
            • Lifestyle (197)
            • Lodging (16)
            • Music (278)
            • Nature (260)
            • News (1228)
            • Nightlife (18)
            • Obituary (9)
            • Opinion (45)
            • Outdoors (177)
            • People (115)
            • Philanthropy (87)
            • Real Estate (3)
            • Recreation (214)
            • Resources (7)
            • Services (7)
            • Shopping (96)
            • Sports (22)
            • Transportation (71)
            • Worship (17)
          • Close
        • Archives
            • June 2018 (21)
            • May 2018 (30)
            • April 2018 (28)
            • March 2018 (30)
            • February 2018 (31)
            • January 2018 (26)
            • December 2017 (23)
            • November 2017 (25)
            • October 2017 (22)
            • September 2017 (32)
            • August 2017 (35)
            • July 2017 (30)
            • June 2017 (30)
            • May 2017 (35)
            • April 2017 (31)
            • March 2017 (33)
            • February 2017 (30)
            • January 2017 (35)
            • December 2016 (30)
            • November 2016 (37)
            • October 2016 (43)
            • September 2016 (53)
            • August 2016 (49)
            • July 2016 (59)
            • June 2016 (70)
            • May 2016 (57)
            • April 2016 (64)
            • March 2016 (69)
            • February 2016 (56)
            • January 2016 (46)
            • December 2015 (39)
            • November 2015 (43)
            • October 2015 (61)
            • September 2015 (57)
            • August 2015 (61)
            • July 2015 (54)
            • June 2015 (41)
            • May 2015 (67)
            • April 2015 (66)
            • March 2015 (72)
          • Load More
          • Close
        • Contact us
          • CONTACT US

              Your Name (required)

              Your Email (required)

              Subject (required)

              Your Message

            • Close
        • Close
      • Log In
        • Log Into Calendar
        • Log Into Blog
        • Close
      • Skip to primary navigation
      • Skip to main content
      • Skip to primary sidebar
      • Skip to footer

      Essex on Lake Champlain

      Essex, New York Community Blog Since 2011

      • Lifestyle
        • Agriculture
          • CSAs in Essex, NY
            • Essex Farm
            • Full and By Farm
          • Farmstead Catering
          • The Hub on the Hill
          • Reber Rock Farm
        • Outdoors
          • Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
          • Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center
        • Entertainment
          • Champlain Valley Film Series
          • Whallonsburg Grange Hall
        • Arts
          • Adirondack Art Association
          • Essex Community Concerts
          • Champlain Valley Film Series
          • Essex Poetry Open Mic
        • Music
          • Essex Community Concerts
        • Shopping
        • Recreation
          • Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
        • Health & Wellness
          • Lake Champlain Yoga & Wellness
          • NEW Health
        • Nature
          • Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
        • Education
          • CFES Brilliant Pathways
          • Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center
        • Nightlife
        • Worship
      • Events
        • Christmas in Essex
        • Downtown Essex Day
        • Fourth of July in Essex, NY
      • Dining
        • Chez Lin & Rays
        • Essex Ice Cream Cafe
        • Essex Inn on the Adirondack Coast
        • Farmstead Catering
        • Old Dock Restaurant
        • The Pink Pig Cafe
      • Lodging
        • Essex Inn on the Adirondack Coast
        • The Cupola House and Cottage
      • Transportation
        • Essex-Charlotte Ferry
      • Heritage
        • Architecture
          • Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler’s Field Guide
        • Historic Essex
        • History
        • People
        • Government
          • Essex Post Office
          • Town of Essex Government
        • Vintage Essex Trivia
        • Vintage Essex Artifacts
      • Directory
        • Adirondack Art Association
        • Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
        • CFES Brilliant Pathways
        • The Cupola House and Cottage
        • Essex-Charlotte Ferry
        • Essex Farm
        • Essex Ice Cream Cafe
        • Essex Initiatives
        • Essex Post Office
        • Farmstead Catering
        • Full and By Farm
        • Historic Essex
        • Lake Champlain Yoga & Wellness
        • NEW Health
        • Pedal Power
        • Reber Rock Farm
        • The Hub on the Hill
        • Town of Essex Government
        • Whallonsburg Grange Hall
      • Show Search
      Hide Search
      You are here: Home / Architecture / Block House Farm

      Block House Farm

      February 4, 2013 By Editorial Staff 4 Comments

      Block House Farm, Essex, NY
      Block House Farm, Essex, NY (Credit: Essex on Lake Champlain)

      In Essex, NY, the Greek Revival architectural style was used most often in the form of details and ornamentation such as columns or street-facing gables (Essex: The Architectural Heritage. 29). Block House Farm, located near the northern limit of the village is unique in that it is the only building in Essex to reach fully developed Greek Revival temple style.

      “Very Jeffersonian in its simplicity and power, it nevertheless represents a style where practicality is subservient to pure form.”  (Essex: The Architectural Heritage. 29)

      Built c. 1836, Block House Farm’s Doric temple facade includes four white freestanding columns supporting a pediment inset with a sunburst design in the fanlight that has become Essex’s symbol. The large pediment also gives authenticity to the Block House Farm’s appearance as “a porticoed Greek temple” (Images of America: Essex on Lake Champlain. 55).

      Block House Farm doorknocker
      Block House Farm doorknocker

      “Its temple effect is accentuated by its site set high above the lake on its terraces, with fields and orchards about it, its portico and gable toward the road.” (Living Places)

      The side dormers that protrude from the roof line on the north and south sides were added at a later date sometime in the 20th century to make more usable space on the attic level (“Essex: An Architectural Guide.” 32). They added practicality to the home, but they broke the original clean lines of the temple form.

      Block House Farm draws its name from an eighteenth century blockhouse that once stood nearby, which served as a combination of courthouse, jail and fort, though all that is left today is a historical marker on the spot. However some of the timbers of that blockhouse were used in the construction of a barn that still stands on the Block House Farm property (“Essex: An Architectural Guide.” 32).

      Additional Resources for Block House Farm

      This map (with satellite image overlay) will help you locate the Block House Farm and see how its location relates to other historic buildings in the historic district.

      View Discover Essex on Lake Champlain in a larger map

      References for the Block House Farm

      “Essex: An Architectural Guide.” Essex Community Heritage Organization, 1986.

      “Essex Village Historic District.” Living Places. Ed. Julia Gombach. The Gombach Group, 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.livingplaces.com/NY/Essex_County/Essex_Town/Essex_Village_Historic_District.html>.

      Hislop, David C., Jr. Essex on Lake Champlain. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub., 2009. Print. Images of America.

      “Historic Essex.” Historic Essex. Essex Community Heritage Organization. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.essexny.org/>.

      McNulty, George F., and Margaret Scheinin. Essex; the Architectural Heritage. Burlington, VT: Queen City Printers, 1971. Print.

      Smith, H. P. History of Essex County: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Syracuse, N. Y.: D. Mason &, 1885. Print.

      Related articles
      • Old Essex Firehouse
      • W.D. Ross Store
      • Historic Essex Inn
      • Noble Clemons House
      • Billings Stone Cottage
      • Noble Warehouse

      Share this:

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Pinterest
      • Email
      • More
      • Print
      • LinkedIn
      • Pocket
      • Reddit
      • Tumblr

      Filed Under: Architecture, History Tagged With: Architectural Heritage, Block House Farm, Essex sunburst, Essex Village Historic District, Greek Revival architecture

      Essex on Lake Champlain

      About Editorial Staff

      Posts published under the Editorial Staff byline are drawn from press releases and other notices, and/or they may be first-time submissions from someone/some organization without a byline of their own; if latter, then the author will be acknowledged in the post. To submit your news for publication on the Essex blog please use the Submit a Story form or contact the editors via email (blue button above), Facebook or Twitter.

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Leonard Duffy, Architect / Hinesburg, Vermont says

        February 6, 2013 at 1:34 pm

        Essex readers might be interested in the c.1990 restoration. By that time, the wooden columns and porch had deteriorated so much that the portico was sagging by a full foot. No original interior detailing remained but the house was a gem in the rough.
        My firm worked with the then owners and Bessboro Builders to completely restore the exterior while renovating the cramped interior into a comfortable largely open living space. The fanlight window became the headboard for a platform bed over the portico, and the dormers a sunny reading alcove for each of the two master bedrooms.
        This was a fun and highlight project in my career.

        Reply
        • G.G. Davis, Jr. says

          February 6, 2013 at 9:10 pm

          Thanks for the memory, Leonard. I remember seeing a magazine article somewhere about this restoration. Would be great to dig it up and feature it in another bog post. I don’t suppose you have access to plans/renderings that might be added to our archive? All input welcome! We appreciate your comment and hope to hear more from you.

          Reply
      2. Leonard Duffy, Architect / Hinesburg, Vermont says

        February 8, 2013 at 1:34 pm

        Thanks for the interest. The only magazine article that I know of was in the July 1991 issue of “Remodeling” . I do have some photos and before and after floor plans.

        Reply
      3. G.G. Davis, Jr. says

        February 10, 2013 at 7:55 pm

        I’d love to meet/interview you and scan some images and floor plans for a post later in the spring. Next couple of weeks are tied up, but March would be a great time to connect. I live in Essex and would be happy to come meet you in Hinesburg at your convenience.

        Reply

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

      Primary Sidebar

      A Natural History of the Tribes of Mutant Thoughts: Poems and Doggerel 

      Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide

      View all Essex Editions books...

      Follow Essex, NY on FacebookFollow Essex, NY on TwitterFollow Essex, NY on PinterestFollow Essex, NY on YouTubeFollow Essex, NY on FlickrFollow Essex, NY on RSS

      Search

      Top 10 Contributors

      • Katie Shepard (595)
      • Geo Davis (394)
      • Whallonsburg Grange Hall (259)
      • Avatar photoChamplain Area Trails (CATS) (208)
      • Avatar photoEssex Farm (205)
      • Olive Alexander (190)
      • Sara Kurak (165)
      • Avatar photoTom Mangano (142)
      • Avatar photoFort Ticonderoga (142)
      • Avatar photoLakeside School (116)

      Footer

      Resources & Policies

      • About Essex on Lake Champlain
      • About Essex, New York
      • Essex, NY Weather
      • Disclosure Policy
      • Privacy Policy
      • Submit a Story
      • Contact Us

      Popular Essex, NY Searches

      • Essex, NY
      • Essex, New York
      • Essex on Lake Champlain
      • Essex Charlotte ferry
      • Essex ferry schedule
      • Essex Charlotte ferry schedule
      • Full and By Farm
      • Essex Farm
      • timber rattlesnake
      • Essex NY fireworks
      • Christmas in Essex, NY
      • Champlain Area Trails

      Local Links

      • Adirondack Art Association
      • Belden Noble Memorial Library
      • Champlain Area Trails
      • Champlain Valley Film Series
      • Essex Community Concerts
      • Essex Theatre Company
      • Historic Essex
      • Rosslyn Redux
      • The Crater Club
      • Town of Essex Information
      • Whallonsburg Grange Hall

      Copyright © 2023 Essex Editions

       

      Loading Comments...