[FROM TALES OF BEEMERVILLE, AND OUR WANTAGE HERITAGE:]

BEEMERVILLE - PLUMBSOCK

Beemerville, once known as Broadway, is located on the southeast slope of the Blue Mountains at the foot of
Sunrise Mountain. Plumbsock, formerly known as Lower Broadway, is located east of Beemerville along Route
519. Beemerville and Plumbsock are bounded on the east by Libertyville.

There was an Upper Beemerville and and a Lower Beemerville. Upper Beemerville's main street was known as
Broadway. At the junction of Crigger Road by the Old Beemerville Cemetery was a church and just below
the cemetery was the schoolhouse.
About the year 1830 the village received its name from Henry Beemer. For a time the present village of
Plumbsock was known as Lower Beemerville. However, as the story goes, a post was being lowered into its
hole when a bystander called out, "Plumb sock!" This was made into one word and became used as the name
of the town.
Early settlers found that the soil was excellent for farming and dairying. The area, like the other sections of
Wantage Township, was also very attractive as a summer vacationland.

In 1814 Jacob Ayers built a "bank house" on Cheese Road, now known as Lusscroft Road, which is located
approximately one fifth of a mile west of Route 519. Some time prior to 1850 this house was used as a court
house and had a gallows in the attic. Judge Enoch Ayers held court there and a number of hangings took
place. In later years the house was alleged to have been haunted. Residents stated that they heard mysterious
moans and groans.

The first store in the area, and probably the oldest, was located in Plumbsock. A blacksmith shop and a
carriage manufactory was operated by Andrew Adrian and his father-in-law, Mr. Longcore.

Beemerville in the mid 1800s was a busy community center with a general store and post office, a cabinet
shop, blacksmith shop, hotel, livery stable, and Simonson's Tavern. There was also a wagon shop and
wheelwright, where supposedly the caisson used in Washington, D.C. for the funerals of President Lincoln and
President Kennedy was manufactured. There was a tannery, a rock crusher, and a bit later, the Borden's
Condensed Milk Creamery.
About 1859 Isaac Dolson owned a carriage manufactory and blacksmith shop which was located near the site
of the present garage . A harness maker located across from the Gabriel L. Beemer General Store which was
east of the church. W. C. Howell was the harness maker.

John V. Roleson was a cabinet maker in the last house in the village across from the cemetery. He purchased
the cabinet making and undertaking business January 16, 1866, from the late David Simmons.

Warren Westfall operated a blacksmith shop and wheelwright establishment in Plumbsock. Mr. Westfall was a
farmer who came from Pelletown about 1861 to the shops owned by a Mr. Davenport. The wheels of the
caissons used for military funerals in Washington came from these shops. Later Warren Westfall's sons,
who had gone to school to learn woodcraft, ran the shops under the name: "Willis and Charles
W. Westfall, woodworkers and wood turners. Their specialties were stair cases, hand rails, brackets, and all
styles of ornamental architecture .

The creamery, now the Grange hall, was located on Cheese Street. It was claimed that if butter was properly
salted before being taken to Kingston it would last a year.
There was a cooperage shop which manufactured butter tubs and buckets. This shop was located in front of
Space's Pond.

About 1822 a wheelwright shop existed on the east corner of Cheese and Main streets.
The wagons manufactured here were generally delivered to Kingston, New York. This shop also
manufactured furniture and coffins. The Old Mine Road was a means of delivering these products to Kingston.

The population of Beemerville in 1872 was two hundred.

Dr. E. J. Westfall was the local physician in the year 1783. In the early 1900's the village doctor was Benjamin
W. Ferguson, a bachelor who lived with Mr. and Mrs. Orin K. Ayers. His fee was fifty cents for an office call and
one dollar for a house call.

There were several taverns in Beemerville. A log tavern was operated by William Crigger. William Crigger lived
where Christie previously lived. Now Fred Space occupies this residence. Another tavern was owned by Henry
Beemer, II. Later Henry Beemer, III, operated the same tavern.

A hotel was located on the west corner of Wykertown Road and Main Street. In the year 1860 it was owned by
a Mr. Cook. In 1873 it was owned by Elias Hockenberry. A newspaper clipping states that the hotel in
Beemerville known as Kings Corner was filled with city boarders. Horace G. Hall operated the hotel as the
Mountain House. . The hotel property adjoined the Belle-Ellen Stock Farm which was owned by Mr. James M.
Jarvie of Montclair, New Jersey. As Mr. Jarvie did not approve of the hotel, he bought it and had it torn down
about 1915.
The Space Farms started in 1927 with a garage, gas station, and store selling candy and cigarettes. Later
other groceries and a lunch area were added. In this store there was a squirrel which could turn a wheel
as hamsters do today. This was the beginning of the present wild animal farm, zoo, and museum. To this
squirrel were added rattlesnakes, the red foxes for furs, followed by silver fox, and presently mink. The little
store was moved across the street to be used as a machine shop in 1966.