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The history of the Van Horn family in Newfane began in 1811 when James Van Horn built the first grist mill along Eighteen mile Creek in Burt near the site of the present Burt Dam. The mill didn't last too long, however, as it was burned by the British during the War of 1812.
James rebuilt the grist and saw mill at the same location in 1817. In 1819, the family moved to a log cabin along the shores of the creek.
In 1823, James finished building a huge brick house, the Van Horn Mansion, across the street from the log cabin, and the family enjoyed moving in and filling the large rooms. At the same time, James also built a store and distillery. He was so proud of his mansion he hosted the first town meeting there on April 6, 1824.
Another fire destroyed the mill in 1839, but James rebuilt it in a year, then proceeded to build the Van Horn Woolen factory a mile south of the mill. This was completed in 1842. Ten years later, his two sons assumed control of some of the property, with James Jr. taking over the mill and Burt taking over the house and farm. The hamlet of Burt is named after Burt Van Horn.
In 1881, Burt Jr. and his brother, Willis Van Horn, operated a fruit farm of 344 acres. Burt Jr. lived in the brick house, and Willis lived in Suspension Bridge, NY, where their cold storage was located.
Burt Jr. remodeled the mansion in 1900, building an addition and installing the leaded stained glass dome on top. The house was sold in 1910 and passed through various hands. It became Green Acres Restaurant in 1949, and was purchased by the Howard Fitzgerald family in 1954. Fitzgerald said the years living at Green Acres were the happiest of his memory, and his children enjoyed running up and down the staircases and playing outside with their pony.
The mansion was sold and converted into apartments in 1959, then sat vacant from 1967 to 1970, when it was vandalized and had doors and windows broken. In 1972 it was purchased and used as a residence for several years. Noury Chemical bought the house in 1977 and it sat vacant again.
In 1987, Noury donated the mansion to the Newfane Historical Society.
The Historical Society has restored the mansion to its former grandeur. For many people in the community, it has become a labor of love. Organizations and individuals have donated their time and money on the project. With the help of the people of Newfane, the beautiful Van Horn mansion will continue to grace our community well into the 21st century.
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