25 Front St Schenectady

 Cornelia Pootman House

The site of the Cornelia Pootman House is part of a lot occupied as early as 1711 by the inn of Jacobus Cromwell, later operated by David Lewis who married Cromwell’s widow in 1717.  Later in the 18th century, the property was owned by Isaac DeGraaf, a carpenter, whose heirs sold a house and lot to Cornelia Pootman, wife of Henry A. Marselis, in 1793.  The present house is believed by local historians to have been built by Isaac’s son Jeremiah DeGraaf and his nephews for Pootman and Marselis in c. 1793 about the time of their marriage.  Originally a five-bay, single family, center hall, Federal style house, the original entry, characterized by the fan light transom window above the door, delicate classical pilasters, cornice dentils, and the carved sunburst in the over-door panel, is utilized as the entrance for the present No. 25.  The house was divided into two smaller houses perhaps as early as the mid-1860s with the construction of an entry door and stairhall wing at the east side of the original building.

The wood frame house has painted wood clapboard siding on side and rear walls while the front façade is brick laid in a Flemish bond pattern with splayed brick lintels above window openings, and a brick watertable above a stone foundation.  The windows in No. 25 were replaced in the mid-19th century with two-light over two-light double hung sash, while the first floor windows in No. 27 are six-light over six-light double hung sash likely dating to the 1820s, while the second floor windows may be the original c.1790s twelve-light over twelve-light double hung sash.