Daniel Orcutt Homestead, Chemung, New York
Daniel and Deborah Orcutt settled on the banks of the Tioga (Chemung) River at an early date in the history of the Town of Chemung, Montgomery (Chemung) County. Their homestead is one of the earliest homesteads still in existence today. They settled on Lot #26 on the 1788 Case Map for the Town of Chemung. The exact date of their homestead is not known but is around the date 1790.
Their home which resembles the home of Deborah's father, pictured below, sit's on the bank of the Chemung River. Each sports a 5 facade. Unlike Deborah's father's home, with chimney's flanking both sides of the house, the Orcutt house has one chimney located just off center from a central chimney design. When it was built and up until the 1972 flood (caused by Hurricane Agnes), the old road between the house and tall river bank was still there. The front of the house actually faced the river. When you drive by today on the Wilawana Road, County Rt. 427, you are viewing the back of the house not just on that house, but on several other houses as well.
The structure is built of post and beam and was built on or around the date of 1790.
When the Wilawana Road was improved, the new road was placed behind the house and now separates the barns from the house. At the time of road improvements, it was necessary to move several houses and out structures out of the way of the road construction in the 1950's. In the case of the Orcutt Homestead, two sheds, 2 stories each, were moved to the same side of the road as the house. They were originally the blacksmith and wagon shops, dates unknown.
Across the road are three barns that were built in close proximity to one another throughout the years of the farm. Two other interesting buildings on the property is an 1850/60 house, my old neighbor used to call the "Little Red Brick House in the Orchard". I don't know the history of this small, 3 story, mansard roof house. Also, a shed that might possibly be the cabin to a canal boat, leaves mystery to our imagination.
The Orcutt Property has been split by the road and is now two properties.
Their home which resembles the home of Deborah's father, pictured below, sit's on the bank of the Chemung River. Each sports a 5 facade. Unlike Deborah's father's home, with chimney's flanking both sides of the house, the Orcutt house has one chimney located just off center from a central chimney design. When it was built and up until the 1972 flood (caused by Hurricane Agnes), the old road between the house and tall river bank was still there. The front of the house actually faced the river. When you drive by today on the Wilawana Road, County Rt. 427, you are viewing the back of the house not just on that house, but on several other houses as well.
The structure is built of post and beam and was built on or around the date of 1790.
When the Wilawana Road was improved, the new road was placed behind the house and now separates the barns from the house. At the time of road improvements, it was necessary to move several houses and out structures out of the way of the road construction in the 1950's. In the case of the Orcutt Homestead, two sheds, 2 stories each, were moved to the same side of the road as the house. They were originally the blacksmith and wagon shops, dates unknown.
Across the road are three barns that were built in close proximity to one another throughout the years of the farm. Two other interesting buildings on the property is an 1850/60 house, my old neighbor used to call the "Little Red Brick House in the Orchard". I don't know the history of this small, 3 story, mansard roof house. Also, a shed that might possibly be the cabin to a canal boat, leaves mystery to our imagination.
The Orcutt Property has been split by the road and is now two properties.
Working on the Orcutt-Tozer family tree I have found numerous inconsistencies in the family genealogy. I usually will not post information such as this. I have waited too long not to post a bio on Daniel Orcutt. I am hoping a family member will find this and come forward with factual and verified information. Mary Ellen Kunst June 2017
Daniel Orcutt was born August 3, 1766 his parents may have been:
Joseph and Temperance (Loomis) Orcutt.
(It is difficult to know the nationality of the name, Orcutt but some feel it might be of Scottish origin and altered from it's original spelling, Urquhart.)
Joseph was born July 6, 1717 in Swansea, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. He died April 13, 1853 in Egremont, Berkshire, MA. He married Temperance Loomis in 1749 in Simsbury, Hartford, CT
Temperance was born February 19, 1732 in Simsbury, Hartford, CT. She died in 1772 in Egremont, Berkshire, MA. (The Orcutt family can be traced back to 1762 to Plymouth County, MA.)
Daniel served in the Revolutionary War and although I have spent endless hours looking for information on his service, I have been unable to located service records except for one, which claims he was is Connecticut not Massachusetts or NYS. His grave marker is not legible or we may have found a clue on his marker.
Daniel married Deborah Tozer (1767-1850).
Their children were:
Elizabeth (1788-1852)
Calvin
Sarah
John Loomis (1793-1855) married Elizabeth (Betsy) Van Gorder (See below)
Sally (1797-1863) married James E. Jones (1793-1830)
Henry
Lydia (1805-1824)
Daniel passed away on October 28, 1848 and is buried with Deborah in the Dutchtown Cemetery located on the Wilawana Road less than two miles from their homestead.
Deborah was born February 7, 1767 in NYS, died January 5, 1850 in the Town of Chemung, age 82 years, 10 months and 29 days.
Her parents were: Elishama and Mary (Miller) Tozer.
Elishama was born July 3, 1741 in Lyme, New London County ,CT. He was a Captain in Van Rensselaer's Regiment of Militia, Whiting's Regiment of Militia, 1777-1781, Revolutionary War. He died at the age of 49 in 1790, in Waverly, Tioga Co, NY. Mary died at the age of 32 in 1773, the same year she gave birth to daughter Mary Tozer, location unknown. Another account shows Mary birthing 10 children. 2 children in 1773, twins? With James being the last child born in 1780.
Deborah (Tozer) Orcutt's grandparents were:
Thomas and Deborah (Bates) Tozer.
There is a discrepancy in the birth and death dates of this couple.
One account claims he was born 1711 in New London County, CT
Another account claims he was born in 1704 in Connecticut.
He died either January 11, 1746 at age 35 in New Jersey, or, in 1745 at age 34 in Cape Breton, Novia Scotia.
Deborah Bates Tozer was born August 21, 1718 of Saybrook, Middlesex, CT. She died in 1747, aged 27 years in Connecticut or in 1806.
(The Tozer family can be traced back to Devon, England in the year 1631, according to a family tree on Ancestry.com. )
Joseph and Temperance (Loomis) Orcutt.
(It is difficult to know the nationality of the name, Orcutt but some feel it might be of Scottish origin and altered from it's original spelling, Urquhart.)
Joseph was born July 6, 1717 in Swansea, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. He died April 13, 1853 in Egremont, Berkshire, MA. He married Temperance Loomis in 1749 in Simsbury, Hartford, CT
Temperance was born February 19, 1732 in Simsbury, Hartford, CT. She died in 1772 in Egremont, Berkshire, MA. (The Orcutt family can be traced back to 1762 to Plymouth County, MA.)
Daniel served in the Revolutionary War and although I have spent endless hours looking for information on his service, I have been unable to located service records except for one, which claims he was is Connecticut not Massachusetts or NYS. His grave marker is not legible or we may have found a clue on his marker.
Daniel married Deborah Tozer (1767-1850).
Their children were:
Elizabeth (1788-1852)
Calvin
Sarah
John Loomis (1793-1855) married Elizabeth (Betsy) Van Gorder (See below)
Sally (1797-1863) married James E. Jones (1793-1830)
Henry
Lydia (1805-1824)
Daniel passed away on October 28, 1848 and is buried with Deborah in the Dutchtown Cemetery located on the Wilawana Road less than two miles from their homestead.
Deborah was born February 7, 1767 in NYS, died January 5, 1850 in the Town of Chemung, age 82 years, 10 months and 29 days.
Her parents were: Elishama and Mary (Miller) Tozer.
Elishama was born July 3, 1741 in Lyme, New London County ,CT. He was a Captain in Van Rensselaer's Regiment of Militia, Whiting's Regiment of Militia, 1777-1781, Revolutionary War. He died at the age of 49 in 1790, in Waverly, Tioga Co, NY. Mary died at the age of 32 in 1773, the same year she gave birth to daughter Mary Tozer, location unknown. Another account shows Mary birthing 10 children. 2 children in 1773, twins? With James being the last child born in 1780.
Deborah (Tozer) Orcutt's grandparents were:
Thomas and Deborah (Bates) Tozer.
There is a discrepancy in the birth and death dates of this couple.
One account claims he was born 1711 in New London County, CT
Another account claims he was born in 1704 in Connecticut.
He died either January 11, 1746 at age 35 in New Jersey, or, in 1745 at age 34 in Cape Breton, Novia Scotia.
Deborah Bates Tozer was born August 21, 1718 of Saybrook, Middlesex, CT. She died in 1747, aged 27 years in Connecticut or in 1806.
(The Tozer family can be traced back to Devon, England in the year 1631, according to a family tree on Ancestry.com. )
Please click on images to enlarge
John Loomis Orcutt, son of Daniel and Deborah (Tozer) Orcutt, was born in 1793 in Whitehall, Washington Co, NY. He married Elizabeth (Betsy) Van Gorder in Chemung on November 29, 1832.
Their Children:
John b. 1833
Calvin b. 1836
Daniel b. 1840
Sarah b. 1846
James b. 1852
Betsy b. 1854
Their Children:
John b. 1833
Calvin b. 1836
Daniel b. 1840
Sarah b. 1846
James b. 1852
Betsy b. 1854
A gallery of the Orcutt Farm today, 2017