Seven Chimneys - History

History

Seven Chimneys was built between 1745 and 1750 by Nicholas Zabriskie, and was part of a 500-acre (200 ha) farm. George Washington is thought to have been a frequent visitor to the house, and the house is noted on the Erkine maps used by George Washington’s army. For its first 158 years, Seven Chimneys remained part of the Zabriskie and extended Zabriskie family, claiming the Ackermans, Harings, and Van Emburghs as its residents, all prominent families in the area and in local history.

In 1915, William B. Howland, publisher of the Independent and Outlook. purchased Seven Chimneys as his country house. During the summers 1915 to 1917, Theodore Roosevelt visited, where he stayed in the west wing and wrote articles for Howland’s publications.

In 1920, Willie Curtis Foster purchased Seven Chimneys from William Howland’s son. For the next 45 years, Seven Chimneys was a working farm.

In 1965, the Fosters sold Seven Chimneys to the Reid construction company, which built the neighborhood around it. The neighborhood’s cul-de-sac, Chimney Ridge Court, is named after the distinct seven chimneys of the home.

In 1965, Francis and Mary Burde purchased Seven Chimneys and lived there until 2001.