The John Green House
by Winston Perry
Essay appears in the Guidebook of the Historical Society of the Nyacks (HSN), "The Great Nyack House Tour", May 10, 2025 (more about HSN's House Tours here)
Have you ever wondered about the old sandstone house near the foot of Main Street that is currently having its walls restored? When it was built just nineteen years into the nineteenth century a sign over the door might have read:
JOHN GREEN AND SONS
Lumber – Stone – Shipping
General Merchandise
Known for more than two hundred years in Nyack as the John Green House, it was never John Green’s home. That was on his farm in South Nyack, at the corner of Clinton and Hillside Avenues, now within the Thruway right-of-way. When the house was built on what would become Main Street, it was one of the first few buildings in Nyack other than a half-dozen-or-so old farmhouses. It was on a two-acre waterfront parcel where Green soon built a dock, lumber yard and lime storage building and converted a barn to a general store. He called it a “fine business stand.” At the time Green had six living sons, ranging in ages from three to twenty-five. This must have been both a blessing and a challenge because, according to his Dutch family tradition, he was expected to provide each of them with either a farm or another occupation. Our best guess is that his solution was to give each of them in succession the responsibility for his Nyack businesses, with the privilege of living above the office in the traditional manner, as a way of “learning the ropes” and gaining business experience with responsibility. Indeed, when he wrote his will shortly before he died, he recorded that his youngest son was filling that role.
When Green organized the building of Nyack’s first steamboat as a fifty-percent owner and he, with his associates, succeeded in getting the state to charter the Nyack Turnpike, the farm and factory produce of Rockland County began to flow down Main Street past John Green’s businesses to the docks and boats owned by Green and the Tunis Smith family. This caused the rapid growth of Nyack and made it the business hub of Rockland County for a hundred years. It also added greatly to Green’s already substantial wealth.
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(essay continues below images)
(images above include: John Green House (restored North wall), historical photos of John and Sarah Green, workers and volunteers on the grounds (miscellaneous))
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​The house remained in Mrs. Green’s ownership after John’s death in 1842 and was apparently rented for residential use. A pre-existing wooden wing attached to the west side of the house remained until at least 1884.
To take advantage of the rental market, the house was converted to apartments. A loft space within the attic was converted to a third story and each story was made into a separate apartment, with a kitchen and indoor bathroom. To keep up with the popular Victorian aesthetic a front porch and dormers in the Italianate Style were added. Judging by the use of cut nails, the conversion was made before 1900.
The property was bought and sold frequently during the twentieth century. Located within the old waterfront district, which had been informally defined by red-lining as an area where minorities could live, it was briefly in African-American ownership and then was picked up by real estate investors. Maintenance inevitably suffered and the building declined to poor condition. By 2010 the house was barely habitable and was mortgaged for far more than it was worth. In 2015 the bank took ownership in lieu of foreclosure. The John Green Preservation Coalition was formed for the purpose of restoring the John Green House, and the bank accepted the Coalition’s proposal for donation of the house.
Why all the effort and expense? The motivation of the Coalition was originally just to preserve and restore a potentially beautiful and historically significant example of the fast-disappearing buildings of local red sandstone, built according to the local Dutch tradition—the last remaining one within the Village of Nyack. Its walls showcase the color of the local stone, highlighted by the off-white of lime mortar joints. Its simple symmetrical façade is a fine example of Federal Period architecture if you imagine it without the later dormers. And the gambrel roof is a reminder that our part of the country was settled by descendants, like John Green, of the early Dutch settlers.
As members of the Coalition studied the house they came to realize that it also is one of the last visible ties to Nyack’s commercial prowess as a busy Hudson River port. John Green built the house with the proceeds of his very profitable business using Hudson River sloops to transport Nyack stone to Albany and New York. The sloops returned downriver with loads of lumber bought at upstate prices for sale at his Nyack and New York lumber yards. Records show his ownership or use of sloops named Defiant, Confident, Attentive, and Henry Edwards. Even after the development of steamboat travel, sloops remained a popular and economical means of transporting bulk goods on the Hudson. They were sent out from desks at the John Green House to destinations up and down the river. Some were converted to schooner rigs and used by the Greens for coastal trade on the Atlantic.
In 1825, as the Erie Canal opened to enthusiastic anticipation of increased traffic on the river, John Green took soundings to demonstrate that there is a deepwater channel across the oyster flats between the main channel near the eastern shore and Nyack’s docks. He had it illustrated on a map drawn by his fellow promoter, Tunis Smith. With map in hand, Green organized the Nyack Steamboat Association, with himself as fifty-percent owner, and proceeded to build the first steamboat to serve Nyack. The results fulfilled his predictions, and Nyack grew around the John Green House.
Finally, the members of the John Green Preservation Coalition see the potential of the John Green House as a contributing part of community life in Nyack. Besides being a relic of the past and improving the appearance of the riverfront district, it should have a use that will benefit the broader community. In harmony with the Village motto “Art & Soul on the Hudson” they want it to be a center for river-themed art, history, and activities. In trying to discern a workable model, they are open to cooperative arrangements with other organizations such as the Hopper House, the Historical Society of the Nyacks, the Village of Nyack, Clearwater, or the Hudson River Maritime Museum. They have identified the rental of artist’s studio workspaces on the upper floors as a means of support to help meet expenses. Planning continues to take place at monthly meetings as restoration progresses.
Contributions to the rehabilitation of the John Green House can be made to the John Green Preservation Coalition, www.johngreenhouse.org or by mail at P.O. Box 378, Nyack NY 10960.