The Flying Birds of Crossman House

Crossman House was built in 1892 by George Grant Crossman as a gift for his wife, Nellie Dodge. It was the nucleus of a 60-acre dairy farm that was operated by three successive generations of the Crossman family.

The farm closed and the land was divided in 1949 after the eldest Crossman son, William, retired. Some land was donated to build Steward Elementary School, which is now a park. Much of the remaining land was sold to build Bishop O’Connell High School, Tuckahoe Elementary School, and Tuckahoe Park.

The house sat unoccupied until 1955 when it was purchased by Stephen and Irmgard Grey. The Greys sold the house in 1991, and it became a restoration project for several subsequent owners. Efforts were made to recreate historic elements of the house, such as replacing the decorative wood squares on the internal staircase in the 1990’s, and painting the exterior of the house green in 2017 to match coloring that was located during the removal of drywall.

The most eye-catching feature of this late Victorian-style farmhouse are shadows that resemble birds flying, projected on the surface of the house near the upper window when the sun shines through bird-shaped carvings in the eaves.

Crossman House is now a private residence, but the historical marker and flying birds (on sunny days) are visible from the street.