Belleville NY New and old Photos

1864 Map

On the north bank of North Sandy Creek, three miles above Woodville, and by rail road, five from Pierrepont Manor, began as a farming settlement, by Metcalf Lee, Bradley Freeman, Joshua Freeman, Martin Barney, James, Benjamin, and Jedediah McCumber, and a few others about 1802-03. Elder Littlefield soon after purchased, and the place being favorably situated for mills, gradually grew to a village. Soon after the War (1812) at the suggestion of Calvin Clark, a merchant, a meeting was called to select a name or the place, and a committee was chosen, who selected the present, which is said to have been taken from Belleville in Canada. Before this it had been known as Hall's Mills, from Giles Hall, who in 1806, purchased of J. McCumber a hydraulic privilege here, and who has ever since resided in this place. The first merchant was Laban Brown; John Hawn was the first innkeeper. Read The Rest......

Businesses in Belleville in 1866-67 (from the Jefferson County Business Directory for 1866-67):

Academy - Union Academy
Blacksmith - Chapman & Hall (Julius Chapman & Abram Hall)
Boot & Shoe Shops - Edward Boomer, Charles L. Holmes, Henry Holmes, J.F. McIntosh
Brass Band - LaRue Hawes, leader
Butchers - Charles H. Freeman
Butter & Produce - James H. Searles
Carpenters - Stephen Cornish, Jesse Littlefield
Carriagemakers - Elisha T. Littlefield, Ephraim S. Lamb
Chairmaker - John H. Carpenter
Cloth Dressing - Thomas Waite
Clergymen - George W. Divol (Baptist), Byron Alden (Meth)
Constable - Horace H. Harris
Cooper - George Johnson, James Williams
Dentist - Edward J. Richards
Dressmakers - Jennette Boomer, Jennie Freeman
Druggist - Hiram G. Walrath
Furniture Dealers - Jonathan Carpenter, Harvey Stacy
General Merchants - Chapman & Reed (Daniel H. Chapman & George P. Reed),
James E. Green, Nahum Houghton,
Edwards, Johnson & Kilby (Fred Edwards, Alba Johnson, & Alanson Kilby)
Gristmills - Malcolm G. Cook, Erastus Hall
Groceries - George Gleason, Henry W. Wilcox
Harnessmaker - Willard Salisbury
Hotel - Belleville Hotel (Alexander D. Williams)
Insurance Agents - Russell B. Richards, Charles F. Jennings
Jewelry & Watches - Bradley B. Barney
Justice of the Peace - Bradford K. Hawes
Lawyers - Mills A. Hackley, Edward B. Hawes
Livery Stables - Alexander D. Williams, William McCollum, George C. Bullard
Millinery - Mrs. Hiram Walrath, Mrs. Charles Freeman
Odd Fellows - Collins Lodge No. 421
Photographer - Frank Allen
Physicians - N. Wotkyns Buel, J.A. Rega
Postmaster - Nahum C. Houghton
Sawmills - Harvey C. Stacy
Stage Proprietor - George C. Bullard
Telegraph Operator - Edwin H. Hiller
Tinsmith - Charles D. Houghton
Tax Collector - Willard L. Cook

Source: HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK -- Franklin B. Hough -- Watertown, New York --- Sterling & Riddell --- 1854

Photos from the old days:

Below is the West side of the main street just past the Fire Department heading south

BELOW: The Old Stone Block being Razed to make way for the current Fire Station

Below: Facing South towards the bridge

Belleville Cemetery is an early cemetery located in the village of Belleville on the south side of Sandy Creek.

Old Bigelow Belleville Cemetery is located at the end of Mixer road next to the creek. There are two Revolutionary War veterans buried here:
Edward Barney (8/18/1749-8/9/1835)
Josiah Littlefield (1766-6/20/1833)

Hunneyman's House on Rt 75

BELOW:

Demo of the house next to Hunneyman's on Academy St. They did this to expand their lawn size:

Belleville Library got resided

The 'Badger' machine shop got torn down and moved its place of business next to the Coffee Cup at the corner

Click to read our article on the history of this home - opens n new window

See Also the pics of the Sharps Building Reno

And then, one day the old 'Pet store' was torn down...was a feed store at one time

This place is at the intersection of Tiller Road at Route 289 near the cemetery

See the pics of Tiller Road

The Barley Pub

See also the progression pics from Tavern to new Pub

Demo of building across from Fire Department

September 1997, the iron bridge gets torn down

Street Views Along 'downtown' county Rt 75

Academy Street NOW

The old Belleville-Henderson School - now used as a Bus Garage and the new school is next to our house down this same road

They removed the top floor and the back is all bays for the buses

The old HAWES house, now renovated Kermit Paro

Click to see the rest of the renovation photos in progress

Read our article on the history of this old home (opens in a new window)

Same House below as above in the 1900's. Pic shared on Facebook

A nice porch was added here

A nice wrap-around porch was added here

And then, this is our house when we bought it in 1990

Over the years, we have made a lot of changes...but it is still an old 1830 house that does what it wants to do

NOW DEMOLISHED in 2018, this place is now owned by Marlin Nohle. Used to be a physician's place back in the 1960's - Dr Ralph. The place is falling apart and no doubt will soon be gone. Photos were taken in July 2018

Location is next to the Fire Department on Rt 289

LAKE ROAD - NORTH SIDE OF THE STREET

LAKE STREET - SOUTH SIDE OF THE STREET

..

MATHERS MILLS.

Little house near Mathers Mills

BELOW Mathers Mills:

MONITOR MILLS

Belleville. Monitor Mills Warehouse. That was the only identification on this old view. There are wooden barrels on the wagon and it
appears to be bags of feed on the loading dock on this old picture

BELOW:

Between Belleville & Ellisburg.. monitor Mills. Covered bridges such as the one picture that monitor Mills used to. The landscape around
the turn of the century. They have long since been replaced by concrete and steel structures but memories can be
revived by photos which we called the earlier era when life didn't rush by it such a hectic pace

On Tiller Road

.

UNION ACADEMY

The Sharps bought the old Town of Ellisburg building and remodelled it and made it a storage bulding for their equipment, etc. It is located next to their popular and awesome store!!!

Progression pictures:

The Tavern in Belleville

Becomes...The Barley Pub

BELOW:

Kermit Paro bought this place in 2015....the old Hawes place

Read our article on the history of this old home (opens in a new window)

The place next to us was built in 1800 and was owned by Tario's when we moved here...then sold to Mullins
and then in 2015, sold to Denny Jerome and Rich Wood. They are remodelling and Landscaping.

Looking great!!!

The Browns put on a two-door garage/living quarters addition and acquired a big storage shed! Paro construction doing the job right and getting it done

BELOW:

Rural Hill ....Wilson home.

The former Hungerford house at Rural Hill now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Morris Wilson was constructed in 1825 by Jedidiah Hill the first settler in the area in 1815. It is said that Mr. Hill was of Mormon faith. He deeded the home to his son Eben and then it was sold to Amasa Hungerford.

Miss Hazel Hungerford prominent Belleville School teacher resided there several years during ownership of her father

Click to read our article on the history of this home - opens in new window

BELOW:

Belleville Godfrey home. 1976-This beautiful Stone House built in the early 1800s on the Belleville Road is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Larry Godfrey recently it was owned by the late Roy K Sidmore

Click to Read our Article on the history of this old home - opens in new window