Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Government, People, Site

Location

8389 N Main St, Lodi, NY 14860, USA

Lat/Long

42.618423, -76.823086

Grant Recipient

Town of Lodi

When British soldiers occupied his home during the Revolutionary War, Silas Halsey and his family fled from Southampton, Long Island to the relative safety of Killingworth, Connecticut. He returned to Southampton by 1779, where he continued his medical practice and was appointed to several public offices in Suffolk County. In 1793, Silas Halsey purchased Military Lot No. 37 from Ephraim White, containing 600 acres in the Town of Ovid (in what is now the Town of Lodi). Here he established his farmstead as well as grist and saw mills. He also purchased additional parcels in Lodi and the surrounding towns, which he later gifted to his children upon their marriages or sold to neighbors.

Although he engaged in agriculture, he was also an active figure in local, state and national politics. In 1801, Silas was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention in Albany, where he amended the principles and language of the state constitution. Throughout his career, he served as a Judge, Town of Ovid Supervisor, Seneca County Clerk, and New York State Legislator. From 1805 to 1807, he also served as a U.S. Congressman during the administration of President Thomas Jefferson. In a letter to the Onondaga Historical Association on June 18, 1862, his son, Jehiel H. Halsey, described his father’s political ideology as a “strict constructionist” and strongly in favor of limiting the powers of the federal government. Silas Halsey lived here until his death on November 19, 1832 and left the property to his children. He is buried at Old Halsey Cemetery (Old Lodi Village Burial Grounds) in Lodi, NY.

As of 2022, the marker commemorating Silas Halsey stands outside his former home at 8375 Main Street, which remains a private residence.