NEWS From the Herd
320 Bulls attend the 155th Reunion
It was a classic sticky summer day in August but a day full of activities and visiting with over 300 cousins in attendance. The 155th Annual Bull Family Reunion and Picnic was a celebration of the 300th anniversary of the start of construction of the Bull Stone House. Orange County Clerk Kelly Eskew (herself a Bull descendant and a volunteer at the reunion registration table) and Orange County Historian Johanna Yaun presented a proclamation to the President of the Bull Family Association Lyle Shute on Saturday, officially declaring August 6th 2022, Bull Stone House Day! In addition to the family gathering at the homestead 20 family members were following the day's activities online through the virtual reunion presented by cousins Marc Nozell and Carrie Spivey. First photos of the day are here and more will be coming soon to our photos tab. A huge thank you to all the volunteers who helped to make this a reunion for the books!
Welcome Back
The Bull Stone House has re-opened for tours, by appointment only.
Archived News to Note
Bull Family Members Choose Live Virtual REunion
7/ 2020 - Click here to read the story from the Times Herald Record
The Sun Shone on the 151st Annual REunion |
8/2018 - Campbell Hall
It started out as a very rainy, stormy and humid Friday but by Picnic time on Saturday the Bull ancestors shared their love and brought us the sun! More news of the day AND PHOTOS to come! - Photos are up on the PHOTOS tab above. |
Timothy McNeilly Earns Rank of Eagle Scout
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Timothy Richard McNeilly of Boy Scout Troop 416 and a nearby neighbor of the Bull Stone House recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout for his project at the Bull pond. Tim, along with his scouting volunteers, created picnic tables and benches placed near the pond at the south side of the house. President Lyle Shute was proud and honored to represent the William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association, as the recipient organization for Tim’s project, at the Eagle Scout Court of Honor on June 10th 2018 in Washingtonville. Many scouts from Troop 416 were present, along with Tim’s parents Elyse & Bruce McNeilly, and other dignitaries to see Tim receive his medal and badge. The Association board is grateful to TIm and his scouts for creating a place to relax and picnic while visiting the historic Bull Stone House.
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spring cleaning work weekend
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Over the weekend of April 28 & 29, 2018, almost 20 cousins helped out at the Bull Stone House, with gardening, yard work, assessing water damaged areas, cleaning and organizing, scanning, preparing the attic for mildew remediation, vacuuming delicate furniture, ironing and hanging new drapes, and several other projects of the season. Thank you so much to all who came out and for all of your efforts. We could not have done it without you! View photos from the weekend here.
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Board appoints four
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At the April 14th, 2018 William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association board meeting, 4 interim members were voted in to fill the open positions. Nancy Boyd, Lisa Brown Ryan, Barbara Sylk and Jack Thew volunteered and accepted the board positions until the annual meeting in August when the open positions will be voted on. Thank you to these cousins for taking on this important job! Read about all the association board members here.
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150th Reunion! |
WOW! Nearly 400 cousins gathered for the 150th Annual Bull Family Reunion and Picnic this year! Thank you to all the amazing volunteers who jumped right in and helped out from set-up, to registration & the BullMarket, all through the day and weekend. We couldn't have done it without you! We'll keep you posted about the amazing family photo and how you can get a copy for your family. Thank you again to everyone who enjoyed the day and helped to keep the rain away! Picnic photos are up! Go to the photos tab above. If you have any photos you would like to share please send them to [email protected].
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Path Through History
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Thank you to all the visitors to The Bull Stone House on Saturday June 17th, 2017! We enjoyed having you take the tour of our historic house and barn. Thank you also to New York State's ILoveNY Path Through History program for creating this opportunity to share the story of our colonial ancestors William Bull and Sarah Wells! If you couldn't make it this time, don't worry, we'll be running this again in October! We'll keep you posted.
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And the winner is...
Todd Vandervort! Congratulations Todd! We know you and your family will enjoy this gorgeaous watercolor for years to come. Thank you again to the generosity of artist and cousin Richard Price! "The Cool Guys"
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Professional artist Richard Price, and Bull family member by marriage, has donated this beautiful original watercolor valued at $1000.00, to be auctioned off to benefit the William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association. "The Cool Guys" is a 36w X 28h framed and matted painting of the iconic Bull Stone House pump and three young cousins enjoying the cool spring water during a Bull Picnic. But the identities of the boys is a mystery; do you know who they are? Richard says he created the painting from a photo he took while attending Bull Picnic in 1996. The painting was unveiled at this year's Bull Picnic where the bidding began. The auction will continue online through early December. Use our contact page to send a note if you can solve the mystery of the identities of the boys. Read more about Richard and the painting...
AUCTION IS NOW CLOSED.
Thank you to all who placed bids. |
The William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association was thrilled to be part of the 16th Annual Hudson River Ramble this past September 5th, 2015. With the help of our Association Board Members, Junior Friends of the Goshen Public Library and Historical Society and The Friends of The Bull Stone House, guests were given tours of the historic homestead, the New World Dutch Barn and the surrounding grounds. It was day of history, friendship and community. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible and to our treasured guests.
What an undertaking! Please click on the photos tab above to see some incredible photos of the projects recently completed at The Bull Stone House. With the multitude of volunteer hours of our Board members and the laborious efforts of all the fine workers who put their heart and soul into this project, the Bull family Homestead is looking quite a bit better. But we still have several other large scale projects we hope to move on to soon. To make a donation towards these large scale undertakings please click on the Donate tab above. You are helping to secure the continued longevity of this historic landmark and homestead.
View video footage about the roof and masonry repairs below.
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Some of the William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association board members, current and former, had the great pleasure of attending the dedication ceremony for the Rowley Center for Science and Engineering at SUNY Orange on September 4th. The new building is on the site of the former Sarah Wells Hall. Notice that the Sarah Wells name lives on at the Sarah Wells Cafe! Thank you SUNY Orange for keeping Sarah's story alive!
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2014 Bull Picnic
Another memory filled day at our Bull Family Reunion and Picnic on Saturday August the 2nd. Click on the photos tab to see just a few photos from the day. If you have photos you would like to see there too, please e-mail them to [email protected]. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the day a success, and to mother nature for giving us a reprieve from the rain.
2014 Reunion and Picnic
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July 1862 Letter
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Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of Sarah Wells' Arrival in Orange County - 2012
Commemorative Tile
In May of 1712, Sarah Wells, a young woman of 18 years made a journey up the Hudson River in a sloop to settle the property of Christopher Denn on the Wawayanda Patent. She landed near New Windsor and traveled inland to settle near the Otterkill in what is now the town of Hamptonburgh.
Throughout 2012 the William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association has celebrated Sarah's courage and history with several events. Please browse our website for more about this amazing woman and the legacy that she and her husband, William Bull, created.
Throughout 2012 the William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association has celebrated Sarah's courage and history with several events. Please browse our website for more about this amazing woman and the legacy that she and her husband, William Bull, created.
What a Reunion Bull Family!! - 2012
It really is true; if you build it they WILL come! Close to 600 cousins made the journey on August 4th to the 145th Annual Bull Family Reunion and Picnic as we celebrated the Sarah Wells Tricentennial. If you were there, please post your photos on our Facebook page and share your stories from the day. Despite the heat and humidity it was thrilling to see so much Bull in one place and specifically at the historic homestead of our pioneering matriarch. More news, stories and photos are coming... View photos from the photos tab above.
Running With the Bulls
September 22 - 2012
Another terrific way to celebrate Sarah Wells - this 5K Fun Run & Walk was just right!
Thank you to all the participants and all of our fantastic helpers. Thank you to the OC Sheriffs department (shout out to Sargeant Palen!), the Hudson Valley Community Emergency Response Team, Goshen High School students, Washingtonville Middle School Community Service Club gang, Sue Tucker and Hill-Hold!
Thank you also to all our wonderful sponsors: Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, Bon Secours Charity Health System, Bull's Head Inn, C&H Salvage, Cross-Fit Orange, Hoeffner Farms, Joe Fix Its, KatherynDeClerck.com, Ken's Service Station, The Original Tube T-Shirt Company, Roe's Orchards.
And last but definitely not least, thank you again to the awesome WB & SW Stone House Association Board for making the last event of our Tricentennial year HISTORIC!
Board member Cindy Chadwick with RWTB sponsors.