Program

NYS Historic

Subject

People

Location

505 Jones Rd, Vestal, NY 13850, USA

Lat/Long

42.060994, -76.054314

Grant Recipient

Town of Vestal

The Jones Farmstead is located in the community of Vestal, New York. Originally established circa 1841, the land changed hands several times over years until November 12, 1884, when Edgar B. Jones purchased 86 acres from Frederick Aldrich for $2,700. Not long afterwards Edgar and his wife Jane began to build a family. Together they had three children, Katherine, James, and Leland. Born at the Jones family farmstead on August 9, 1894, youngest son Leland grew up in rural Vestal and spent his entire life in the community. On November 2, 1917, Edgar sold the family farm to Leland. Like his father, Leland was initially a farmer, however that changed in 1932 when he was elected as the Vestal Town Supervisor. He served from 1933-1962. A March 4 1962 article from the Press Sun Bulletin highlights the developments which occurred during Leland’s term:

But Vestal doubled its population of 2,500 in the decade in which Leland Jones took over. Endicott, for one, was filling up, and building a home in either Endwell or Vestal became the thing to do.  And when the new east-west Route 17 came through, Vestal began to land industries and commercial enterprises that it needed to help pay for needed improvements.

During his tenure as Town Supervisor, Leland radically changed the Vesta community, spurring growth and modernization, which earned him the nickname “Mr. Vestal” or “The Father of Modern Vestal”.