10 Knowles

A 19th century vernacular cottage with gabled roof, 10 Knowles Avenue was built circa 1865. The lot for this house was first purchased by Orrice Smith from Amster Dingle, who lived in 170 Cross Street at the time. According to census reports, George Smith, husband of Orrice Smith, seems to have lived in 10 Knowles … Read more

21 Vine

Built around 1850, the house was owned by Mennominee L. Miami from 1862, whose occupation was listed as a “quack doctor.” Along with 19 Vine, 21 Vine is one of the excavation sites for the Beman Triangle Project. During the past excavation, we have found glass tubes that we at first thought might relate back … Read more

19 Vine

The Bartholomew J. Murphy House (constructed c. 1870) is a one-story gabled cottage with a brick foundation. According to the 1874 rental map, Murphy was the owner of this rental property. Abigail Stanton, who owned other real estate, was a possible tenant however Albert and Lottie Olson acquired the house by the early 1900s. Along … Read more

9 Vine

This 19th century vernacular cottage with a brick foundation was first built around 1840, and, for a long time, was owned by the Cambridge family. The house was first purchased by John Cambridge in 1855, who lived with his family and James and Orrice Brooks, the children of a couple who moved to Middletown from … Read more

168 Cross Street

Built in 1951, the current building of 168 Cross Street is built on or near the site of the 1889 parsonage of the A.M.E. Zion Church. The land was initially donated to the Church by Miss E.A. Worthington, a domestic servant at the time. The church immediately began to make plans to replace the old … Read more

130 Cross Street

Currently the location of Neon Deli, which used to be called Cross Street market until the 1950s. Although constructed in 1921, the Cross Street Market was originally the house of Leverett Beman. With the settlement of Leverett Beman in 1843, many of the members of the A.M.E. Zion Church began to populate other houses on … Read more

Vine Street

photo of Vine street on the 1847 Beman Triangle Map (mark it!)

11 Vine

Built on a brownstone foundation, 11 Vine was constructed in 1848. In the late 1840s and 1850s, the house was owned by Ebenezer Deforest, who also used to own 9 Vine. At one point, he mortgaged the house to John Cambridge, a resident of 9 Vine. In 1860, Deforest sold the house to John’s son, … Read more