History Isham Park

the spring rises @ base of small rock. eighteen inches deep , twenty inches across. natural rock forms of basin, , in front piece of white kingsbridge marble, has become slimy , yellowish-brown.

bubbles rise bottom, sandy , on conical fungus grows. water not cold cool. although exposed direct rays of sun. drank it, , found trifle salty.

later, william s son samuel described condition of estate when father bought it:

it rough, of tangled thicket of red cedars, lawns house had been kept up. cleared it, moved stable top of hill... regraded whole hill top bottom, planted of trees remain, , in fact remade place ... @ time surroundings beginning suburban. kingsbridge road [now broadway] dirt country road – long regretted after had been graded , widened, new street remained years unpaved – waste of dust in dry weather , slough of mud in wet.

our house ... has remained unchanged. in fact, peculiar plan rendered extension practically impossible. ... our gate north end of island extends marble formation in manhattan. (i have impression there 1 other.) down creek there kilns built burn marble lime.

the old stone building, [which became barn], used store lime, shipped in sloops dock in creek. end of place main center of activity century ago. there small house there in 1862 used gardener, , though comparatively recent, there other signs apple orchards , indicated farmhouse had stood there. stronger argument spring of pure, cold water on bank @ edge of swamp. near spring [was] cherry tree must on 100 years old , shows age. used yield abundance of dark sweet cherries, , suppose may sole surviving specimen of ‘dyckman cherry’ species famous in day, supposed extinct.

it s notable when isham having wall built or reconstructed along broadway edge of estate, workman found old milestone read 12 miles new york , had once stood on kingsbridge road (which became broadway). when isham found out it, had milestone built wall, north of entrance estate, still exists. unfortunately, because milestone made of soft brownstone, original lettering has worn away.

isham operated property farm, but, according son, pleasure , not profit. said have harvested last wheat grown on manhattan island, of sent 1893 chicago world s fair.