A special gift: Durland family presents two deeds to Chester Historical Society

Original deeds date from 1751 and 1755 Chester — William Sanford Durland Jr. (Bill) of Highland, resident of Chester for many years and longtime member of the Chester Historical Society, together with son William S. Durland III (Sandy) and Sandy’s wife, Kathy, recently visited Town of Chester Historian Clifton Patrick. Bill presented two original deeds, both of great local significance, to the Chester Historical Society, the first from July 16, 1751. John Beers “with the good liking” of his wife, Mary, conveyed for the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds to James Ensign one hundred and twenty acres more or less, tracts commonly called Cromline in the Waywayanda Patent. The second deed, which subdivided off part of the land described in the first, was dated May 19, 1755 between James Ensign and his wife, Ruth, and conveyed to John Yelverton for the sum of ninety seven pounds four shillings forty two acres and three quarters more or less. A note included with the Ensign to Yelverton deed states: “Deed for the land on which Old village of Chester is now located, given by John Ensign to John Yelverton in 1755. a part of property on which the first house in Chester was built.” Chronicle readers may be familiar with this historic property at the intersection of Academy Avenue and Main Street where the Chester Square Antiques business and home of Richard Ramsdell are located. Some older readers still refer to this location as Durland Square. Other original documents also donated The Yelverton Inn (subject of an article in the Chronicle of Feb. 11) which is the first house referred to in the note, was purchased by Joseph Durland in 1869 and was the family home to four generations of Durlands; Joseph, Frank, Sanford then Bill who grew up there with his parents and sister Ann. Now many years later Bill and his wife, Sheila, have moved from their home in Poughkeepsie into a new apartment in Highland and have generously made an important and exciting gift to the Chester Historical Society. The two deeds will join the two de Crevecoeur deeds in the Chester Historical Society’s collections. Also gifted by Durland are many original documents, books about Chester history, including a two volume “Life of Thomas Sanford and his Descendants,” 1881 Ruttenber & Clark “History of Orange County New York,” an edition of Russel Headley’s 1908 “History of Orange County New York,” a steel point engraving of Wm. Bross, a teacher at the Chester Academy (1848), later Lieutenant Governor of Illinois (1865-1869). The historical society also received a rare photograph of the business of Geo. W. Clark, Dealer in Fresh & Salt Beef, Pork, Lamb & Mutton with the famous Backman Steer. This photograph is dated 1870 and was taken before the great fire of July 5, 1877 when much of the business section was destroyed. By Leslie Smith