It is shown on the 1869 map of Middletown in Beers Atlas of Delaware County. I'll scan that portion of the map and send it to you when i get home this afternoon. Like most 19th century hotels, The Locust Grove House is long gone. At 07:40 PM 1/9/2008, you wrote: >I am searching for information regarding the place known in the >mid-1800s as "Solitude." There are several messages in the archive >suggesting that this location is near Arkville but I'm hoping someone >can pin it down a bit closer and even provide an exact location. > >Some additional background: > >Munsell's history notes that Solitude, or an estate at that location, >was part of the Livingston property that came to the Laussat family of >Philadelphia owing to debts. Munsell additionally notes that it was >inherited by "Lord" Willoughby and eventually bought by Hiram Kelly, >with the house or estate becoming known as Locust Grove. Either the >estate or the house itself became some kind of summer resort. The >Brooklyn Eagle mentions Solitude in several articles dated about 1875, >complimentary to the area (at least as I read the language of the times.) > >It is accurate that Estelle de Laussat and her niece, also Estelle, >inherited the property. The older Estelle married (1) Edward Cook of NJ >and, in 1853 (2.) Samuel A. Willoughby (his second wife) of Brooklyn. >Willoughby was a merchant and banker originally from Nova Scotia who >picked up the moniker "Lord" for uncertain reasons. His first wife >owned, with her sisters, a large farm that eventually was developed into >the current downtown Brooklyn. The son of Samuel and Estelle (Laussat) >was Hugh L. Willoughby, born at Solitude in 1856 and later became a well >known sportsman, explorer, inventor, and early aviator. The niece, >Estelle, married Emile Camile Geyelin, a hydro-engineer who designed the >Philadelphia waterworks and begat a very prominent family in the Philly >area. > >I am interested in locating the site of Solitude, learning whether any >of the original house still exists, and learning the dates and >circumstances of the various changes in ownership and condition. > >Any help would be appreciated and I'd be pleased to exchange information >with interested researchers. > >Wallace Fullerton >Kensington MD > > > > > > To contact list administrator send email to nydelawa-admin@rootsweb.com >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >NYDELAWA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without >the quotes in the subject and the body of the message