Crystal Spring Farm, also known as the Hayward House, is a simple Federal style farmhouse on the outskirts of the main village of Essex, NY.

The home was built c. 1811, and its interior altered c. 1850. The property is unique in that most of the original farm buildings, some of which are visible in the image above, are still surviving (Essex: The Architectural Heritage. 19). The home is empty today.

Early Essex County historian Albert Hayward made his home in this house for many years (Images of America: Essex on Lake Champlain 116). He kept files on his research and correspondence, and following his death, many of those were donated to the Paine Memorial Library in Willsboro, NY (Ancestry.com).

Architecture of Crystal Spring Farm

This Federal farmhouse has the style’s signature rectangular facade. Another rectangular wing extends from the back with a porch on the left side. The home has a pair of chimneys mirroring each other on each end of the roof.

The house is painted white. The home’s dark shutters can be seen in the photo above, though note their absence on the photo to the right.

A modest portico overhangs the front door with two smooth, white columns holding it up. Low balusters connect the columns and the house.

The simple wooden fence that stood in front of the farmhouse has been lost to time or road widening, but it is visible in the photo above.

Additional Resources for Crystal Spring Farm

This map (with satellite image overlay) will help you locate Crystal Spring 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 Crystal Spring Farm

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.

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