John Tyler / Mercy Waring House

The John Tyler / Mercy Waring House is one of the oldest homes in the historic hamlet of Pound Ridge in far eastern Westchester County, NY. John Tyler purchased the property in 1737, and it is thought that there was a residence in existence prior to that date. The house then passed through the Lockwood family, early settlers of Pound Ridge, coming into the possession of Mercy Lockwood Waring in 1809. Mercy Waring’s name is on the first known deed of the house, and therefore it is commonly referred to as the Mercy Waring house. However, it is believed that the material used to reconstruct her home came from the first John Tyler house, as evidenced by the chimney stack and structural members. At one point it served as a tavern and is now again a private residence. The John Tyler / Mercy Waring House is located in the Pound Ridge Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

In 1737, John Tyler established a farmstead on a hill on what is now Salem Road in the hamlet of Pound Ridge in Westchester County, NY, near the border of Connecticut. It is believed that the one-story house on this site was in existence when he purchased the land. Features of the home associated with this early time period include a bake oven in the rear of the kitchen fireplace, which was an early 1700s feature. 

In 1740, John Tyler’s holdings were purchased by the brothers Joseph (1699-1757) and Israel Lockwood. The next official owner of record was Joseph’s granddaughter, Mercy (1770-c.1832), who was the daughter of Joseph’s son, Captain Joseph Lockwood (1731-1792) and Hannah Close. Mercy married Jotham Waring, who is believed to have renovated parts of the house using existing materials from the original structure. The first known deed associated with the house is dated 1809 and is in Mercy Waring’s name. In the decade or so prior to Mercy Waring’s ownership of the house and property, it is thought that the home also served as a local tavern.

The John Tyler / Mercy Waring House is a one-story, five-bay, stone foundation, gable roof clapboard residence. It exhibits a center chimney and possesses three-pane attic story windows, a three-bay shed roof veranda, and a six-over-six double-hung sash. The bedrooms in the house were originally an attached barn. There is also a one-story, two-bay garage on the property, dating from around 1920.  

Around 1930, Pound Ridge resident and preservationist, Hiram Halle, who at one point owned approximately 700 acres in Pound Ridge, purchased the John Tyler / Mercy Waring home. During his lifetime, Halle restored approximately thirty houses in Pound Ridge, furnishing them with his antiques, and renting them to history minded people. During the 1930 renovations of the John Tyler / Mercy Waring House, a side saltbox and bay window were added. 

1. Harris, Jay. God’s Country: A History of Pound Ridge, New York. Pequot Press, CT. 1971.
2. “Historic Landmarks of Pound Ridge” pamphlet. The Pound Ridge Historical Society. 1996.
3. “Pound Ridge Historic District #85003196.” National Register of Historic Places. United States Department of the Interior/National Park Service. 1985. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75323177 
4. Pound Ridge Historical Society. https://www.poundridgehistorical.org/ 
5. Williams, Gray. Picturing Our Past: National Register Sites in Westchester County. Westchester County Historical Society. 2003.