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WELCOME BACK!
The Bull Family of Orange County, NY, are descendants of William Bull and Sarah Wells, who were married in Goshen, NY in 1718 and created a legacy still going strong today. You are welcome to join the membership of the William Bull and Sarah Wells Bull Family Association if you are a descendent of William Bull and Sarah Wells or are married to one! |
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The History of William Bull and Sarah Wells and our Association
Nestled in the rolling, green hills of Orange County, New York, stands The Bull Stone House and, the only example of a New World Dutch Barn still standing in Orange County. The house is a living museum, still owned and occupied by the same family who built it. Along with the barn, The Bull Stone House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1722 by the pioneering couple William Bull and Sarah Wells, who were among the first settlers in Orange County. The Englishman and the Pioneer Teen William Bull was an English stonemason who immigrated to New York in 1715. He was hired by NYC merchant Daniel Crommelin to build him a house on the Wawayanda Patent in what is now called Chester. Sarah Wells was an indentured servant of Christopher and Elizabeth Denne living in a townhouse on Pearl Street in NYC. In May of 1712, she accepted Denne's offer to sail north in a single-mast sloop up the Hudson River from Manhattan with three hired carpenters and three Native Munsee men as guides. They landed in New Windsor and hiked into the "howling wilderness" along the Moodna Creek to reach Denne's property on the Otterkill. Sarah became the first settler on Denne's property on the Wawayanda patent when she was just 16 years old. Part of their path is now called Sarah Wells Trail in honor of her amazing journey. Goshen begins with Sarah and William Aided by a small family of the Munsee People near-by, Sarah became the first settler of European descent in Goshen. The Munsee People built her a wigwam on the Otterkill, taught the settlers how to plant crops, and taught them how to protect themselves. William and Sarah were the first recorded marriage in the Town of Goshen in 1718 and had 12 children, who all married and had children themselves. Since 1867, the descendants of this union have gathered annually for a family reunion that is now the 2nd longest, continuous annual family reunion in America. The Bull Family Genealogy begins In 1796, at the time of Sarah Wells Bull's death, her grandsons Peter Bull and Jesse Booth, wrote the first family genealogy and on that day counted 335 descendants of the pioneering couple. Sarah was 100 years old when she died. For generations ever since that day, family members have carried on the tradition of updating the head count year after year. In 2020, the all-volunteer family genealogists have counted more than 100,000 descendants and spouses both living and passed, of William and Sarah Bull. (Please go to the Ancestry page to update your Bull Family genealogy.) The 2nd longest, continuous annual reunion in U.S. Since 1867, the living descendants have gathered annually for The Bull Family Reunion and Picnic, which has become the 2nd longest, continuous annual family reunion in America. Hundreds of cousins from around the country, Canada, and the world gather at the homestead to celebrate their shared ancestors and heritage and renew their bonds. A family shows how one house can be sustained for centuries The Bull Stone House may be the longest owned and occupied residence by one family, the original family who built it, in America. The Bull Family has owned the homestead for more than 300 years and has maintained it as a residence first and foremost. Ten generations have lived in this incredible home. It is an example of how long one home can be sustained by one family for the purpose it was built. The Four Pillars In 1921, the family incorporated with a Board of Trustees to manage The Four Pillars: the Bull Stone House; the annual reunion; the long-kept genealogy; and the all-volunteer effort, of this amazing group of descendants. To arrange a virtual or in person tour You can arrange a virtual or in person tour of The Bull Stone House by appointment only for your family, students, scouts, 4H’ers, or for anyone interested in exploring and discovering New York State Colonial history. Call or email with the information below. |
Bull Family members: want to be sure you receive all the latest news of all things Bull? Sign up to receive our emails here. It's not spam, it's Bull!
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The Bull Stone House |
183 County Route 51 | Campbell Hall, NY 10916 | 845.496.2855 | [email protected] |
The William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association is proud to be a part of the Blue Star Museums Initiative. Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment of the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,500 museums across America. First launched in the summer of 2010, Blue Star Museums offers free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
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