The John Jay Homestead State Historic Site is located at 400 Jay Street in Katonah, New York. The site preserves the 1787 home of

Founding Father The following is a list of national founders of sovereign states who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e., political system ...

and statesman

John Jay John Jay (, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, diplomat, signatory of the Treaty of Paris (1783), Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served from 1789 to 1795 as the first chief justice of the United ...

(1745–1829), one of the three authors of ''

The Federalist Papers ''The Federalist Papers'' is a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the collective pseudonym "Publius" to promote the ratification of the Constitution of the United States. The ...

'' and the first

Chief Justice of the United States The chief justice of the United States is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States and is the highest-ranking officer of the U.S. federal judiciary. Appointments Clause, Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution g ...

. The property was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1981 for its association with Jay. The house is open year-round for tours.

Description and history

The John Jay Homestead is located in a rural setting east of the village of Katonah, on the north side of Jay Street (

New York State Route 22 New York State Route 22 (NY 22) is a north–south state highway that parallels the eastern border of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, from the outskirts of New York City to the hamlet of Mooers (CDP), New York, Mooers i ...

). It is a -story gambrel-roofed brick building, with single-story gable-roofed wings to either side. The main facade is five bays wide, with sash windows arranged symmetrically around the centered entrance. The center bay is slightly wider than the others, and the entrance is topped by a four-light transom window. A shed-roof porch shelters the entire span of the first floor, wrapping around in open sections to secondary entrances in the side wings. The home was constructed in two major phases, on of land that was part of a larger parcel that his maternal grandfather Jacobus Van Cortlandt purchased from Chief Katonah around 1700. John Jay made arrangements in February 1787 with brickmakers and carpenters for the first phase of construction, which was completed in 1790. The second phase, executed in 1800–01, included the extension of the main block to five bays and the addition of the wings (one replacing the first kitchen wing). Jay, whose long and illustrious career included the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

, drafting of New York's first state constitution,

Governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ...

, and Chief Justice of both New York's Supreme Court and the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

, spent his retirement years on this property. The house remained in the Jay family until 1959, when it was given to

Westchester County Westchester County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The county is the seventh most populous cou ...

, which turned it over to the state. The state undertook the reversal of some alterations made after Jay's ownership, and opened it as a historic site. In 1977, the non-profit Friends of John Jay Homestead was founded to increase public awareness of the site. It raises funds and provides volunteer assistance for the Homestead's preservation, restoration and interpretation. The house was declared a

in 1981. and File:John Jay (Gilbert Stuart portrait).jpg, ''

Portrait of John Jay ''Portrait of John Jay'' is a 1794 portrait painting by the American artist Gilbert Stuart. It depicts the Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father John Jay. At the time Jay was serving as Chief Justice of the United States. The same ...

'' by

Gilbert Stuart Gilbert Stuart ( Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was an American painter born in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists. His best-k ...

, 1794 File:JohnJayHomestead HABS cropped.jpg, South perspective view in 1961 ( HABS)

Legacy

In 2004, the landmark, known as Bedford House, was added to the

African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County The African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County in New York (state), New York was created in 2004 to help preserve and interpret the historic landmark places that help tell the narratives of women and men of African descent who have made ...

, a group of 16 sites which include the Rye African-American Cemetery, Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site and the Jay Estate in Rye.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jay, John, Homestead State Historic Site Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) National Historic Landmarks in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Westchester County, New York New York (state) historic sites Historic house museums in Westchester County, New York Biographical museums in New York (state) Parks in Westchester County, New York Farm museums in New York (state) Historic American Buildings Survey in New York (state) Jay family Homes of United States Founding Fathers New York State Register of Historic Places in Westchester County

Description and history

Legacy

See also

References

External links