The
Dater House was built about 1798, on land rented from and part of
the Manor of Rensselaerwyck. James and Mary Cox turned over the land
- a parcel of 17.5 acres - to Philip P. Dater on July 11, 1816. The
property was subject to the rents due to Stephen Van Rensselaer. When
Philip Dater died in 1869, his will provided that his son Samuel inherit
the property. In 1880, Samuel Dater conveyed less than an acre of
land to School District No. 2 for construction of a new school. It
is on this parcel of land that the Garfield School was built. This
same building now houses the Brunswick Community Library and the headquarters
of the Brunswick Historical Society.
Although
there is no record to substantiate the story, the House is understood
to have been one of the stations along the Underground Railroad during
the Civil War. Another story about the house is that during renovation
work, a cannon ball was found under the floor, very likely an artifact
from the American Revolution.
Old
Photo
