Anyone who’s taken a drive down Genesee Street in Lancaster has passed by the old white stone house. They might’ve wondered about it and the story behind it.

"This is the oldest surviving stone house in Erie County," said Gary Costello, president of the Hull House Foundation.

The Hull Family Home and Farmstead dates back to 1810.

  • The Hull Family Home and Farmstead dates back to 1810
  • It was built by Revutionary War veteran 
  • Tours are available via appointment or when the American flag is hanging from a window

"Which is significant, but what is most significant to us is the fact that it was the home of Warren Hull," Costello said. "Hull was a Revolutionary War solider. When he was here, obviously, he was a veteran."

After combat, Hull his wife and children moved to Western New York, setting down roots.

It survived the Burning of Buffalo during the War of 1812.

"To have this structure from that early of times is substantial," Costello said.

But he said the history of those walls goes even deeper.

"One of his daughters, his daughter Sophia, moved to Ohio with her husband and we know for a fact they were part of the Underground Railroad," Costello said. "Every major story can be interpreted through this family and through this house."

The home was in the Hull family until the 1850s. It wasn't until 1993 when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places and placed on the New York State Register of Historic Sites.

About a decade later it underwent nearly $1 million in renovations. From the kitchen where the original beehive oven still stands to the home’s décor, Costello said they are making sure visitors get a real sense of what domestic life was like 200 years ago.

"The paint colors are the original paint colors," Costello said.

Some of the original paint can be seen on the staircase. Through the rest of the seven-room home, visitors can find family artifacts dating back to the 1800s and items used during the time period. Costello said it's been a labor of love restoring the home.

Now he’s inviting Western New Yorkers inside for a closer look. 

"The thrill for me is this is the home of a man who fought for American Independence," Costello said. "How much better does it get than that?"

For tour dates and times head to the home’s website.  But for anyone driving along Genesee Street, if the American flag is hanging from a second-story window, that’s an invitation to come inside and take a look.