Program

NYS Historic

Subject

People, Site

Location

2000 NY-8, Leonardsville, NY 13364, USA

Lat/Long

42.809044709942, -75.252631370789

Grant Recipient

The Horned Dorset Colony Foundation

Constructed in 1874, the Wheeler Complex consists of three structures: an Italianate style house built for local banker, John O. Wheeler who also operated a bank out of the residence; the Wheeler Commercial Block, which included retail space on the first floor and a gathering hall on the second floor; and a two-story carriage house. The Wheeler Complex is located in Leonardsville, New York, and all three structures, as of 2022, are still standing and preserved by the Horned Dorset Inn and the Horned Dorset Colony Foundation; the latter being a nonprofit whose mission is to “support and sustain a community of exceptionally talented artists from different disciplines who wish to exchange ideas in a working environment and contribute to the larger community through cultural engagement.” The marker is located between the commercial block and house along Main Street.

John O. Wheeler was born in Columbus, New York in 1829. At the age of twenty-three he began as a clerk at the Leonardsville Manufacturing Company. Following the incorporation of the State bank in Leonardsville, Wheeler began working as a teller and book keeper, and in the years to follow he would continue to work as a banker, eventually partnering with Dennis Hardin to open their own bank, the Leonardsville Bank. Later in his life Wheeler operated a small private bank out of his residence while also serving as justice of the peace.

In 1874 Wheeler employed a well-known builder and carpenter, William T. Trenham, to construct the house, commercial block, and carriage house. The structures were built in the elaborate Italianate style most popular from the 1840s to 1880s. The house featured a large cupola, pillared porch, and spiral staircase, while the carriage house featured a large cross gable and intricate molded surrounds.

Though less decorative than the house and carriage house, the commercial block provided an important hub of commerce and community for Leondardsville. Along with the businesses operating out of the first floor–which included the local post office and a general store along with others–the second floor “Wheeler Hall” hosted graduations, concerts, and lectures. The Wheeler Block played a number of roles for the hamlet of Leonardsville, aiding in its growth as a center of manufacturing and commerce.

In Wheeler’s obituary, published in the Brookfield Courier on Dec. 16, 1896, the newspaper stated his passing:

Removes from our midst a man whose name has been closely identified with the business interests of the Unadilla valley and surrounding country for nearly fifty years. His death creates a vacancy which can hardly be supplied. The sorrow of the bereaved family is shared by the entire community.

In 1983 the complex was listed on both the National and State Register of Historic Places in recognition of its significance in American history and culture. As of 2022, the Horned Dorset Inn maintains and provides rehabilitation for the trio of historic structures, which are in part used by the Horned Dorset Colony for their artist residency program.

Links

• The Horned Dorset Colony
• The Horned Dorset Inn