John
Orchard was born in Devonshire,
England, where he died, aged about 80 years. His wife, Sarah,
bore him 16 children, among whom was Abraham
Orchard, who died in Devonshire at the advanced
age of 86 years. He married Prudence Pering,
of Devonshire, and they had four children, among whom were Benjamin
Orchard and Martha,
christened 4 June 1799 at Chard Street Chapel-Independent, Axminster,
and wife of George Membery.
Benjamin
Orchard removed to Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., New York,
in 1832 on a farm at the northeast corner of Old
Salt Point Road and Parker Road. He married Armenia
Barnes, daughter of
Rev. Enoch Barnes and Amor
Hazen, of Hounsfield, and their children were Matilda,
Sarah, Elsie
J., Richard,
Benjamin, Julia
A., Martha A.,
Effie E., Darius,
Ada R., and Ida
M. Orchard.
A
record in the county clerk's office shows that on 2 September 1859,
Col. Elisha
Camp and wife Sophia Hale
of Sackets Harbor sold all of the real estate known as Camp's Mills,
consisting of a saw mill, grist mill, stone house and about ten
acres of land east of the road to Benjamin
Orchard for $1,000. Benjamin continued operation
of the mills, and he is probably the one who ordered built the store
that appeared on the 1864 land owners map, and which later became
the Jenkins Home.

During
the mid- to late-20th century, the Calwell
family lived in the home, after which it was vacated.

Aerial
view of the Benjamin Orchard property; the house is the eastern-most
structure.
The
property was purchased a few years ago by the Surdo
family, who has restored the house and barn. The family currently
operates the Yellow
Barn Winery on the premises—the first winery in the area.

View
of the Yellow Barn Winery, October 2006; note the vineyard in the
foregraound, and the old Orchard home at right.
|
SOURCES:
Childs, Hamilton. "Town of Hounsfield Family Sketches."
Gazetteer of Jefferson County (1890). Available at [http://jefferson.nygenweb.net/childhou.htm].
Lane, David. "Old Houses of the North Country Remembered, No.115."
Published by the Watertown Daily Times, date unknown (part of series,
1940's-1950's). Available in the Genealogy collection of the Flower
Memorial Library, Watertown. |