Meredith’s Four New Historical Markers and What They Commemorate

Four New York State historical markers were erected in Meredith during 2020 and 2021. This program will take a look at each and tell you a bit about the site’s history, why it is historically significant, and endeavor to keep your interest by telling you some colorful information about it.  The basic historical facts of the four sites are given below:

HENDERSON BROTHERS GENERAL STORE served the people of East Meredith for 80 years.  It was opened in 1890 by John Henderson who died in 1905.  It was then operated by Fred Adair until 1913 and then by Henderson’s sons, Roland and Lyle, from 1913 until the 1930s, and then by Lyle until 1970.

MEREDITH SQUARE CEMETERY was established in 1816. It contains the graves of our early settlers, a veteran of the French and Indian War, and veterans of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the War of 1812, and WWII. It also contains historic gravestones that I’ll show you carved by J. W. Stewart, a.k.a. the Coffin Man.  You’ll also learn why many gravestones aren’t where they should be and of the ongoing work to restore this historic cemetery.

BRAMHALL TAVERN in West Meredith was the home of Meredith’s earliest known settler, Joseph Bramhall, who came here before 1790.  This is where the settlement of Meredith began. Bramhall was operating an inn here by 1792 and had tavern licenses until 1803.  You’ll learn why this was a very lucrative place to operate a tavern in the 1790s and what happened to it.

MERIDALE FARMS was a nationally known 2,500 acre Jersey breeding farm founded by Francis W. Ayer in 1888. I won’t present a detailed history of Meridale Farms. That’s been done before, but I’ll present a pictorial overview of the farm in its heyday and describe the buildings that stood where the marker is placed.

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