Bates-Engelhardt Mansion/Community House, Washington Street,
St. Johnsville, NY

Cheese merchant James Bates erected this lovely Italian style villa in the late 1860's. The house is built of locally made bricks and native bird's eye sandstone. Cheese making, while once a staple of local industry, fluctuated wildly. When a downturn occurred in the early 1870's Bates was forced to sell the house in a Sheriff's sale. Several years later having passed briefly through the hands of another owner, the property was purchased by piano manufacturer Frederick Engelhardt. Engelhardt spent large sums of money enhancing the structure and furnishings. Alas, however, financial reversals on Engelhardt's part put the house into mortgage foreclosure. The property was then purchased by Gertrude Reaney, who along with her husband Joseph, eventually presented it to the Village of St. Johnsville for municipal use.

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