Rafferty-Craft House
165 East Broadway, Roslyn
Adapted from the 2002 House Tour Guide
According to an oral history taken in 1972, the Villagers of Roslyn built this house for a recently widowed Ann Rafferty whose husband was killed by a constable in the area around Roslyn railroad station. Originally, the house sat on a lot barely larger than the cottage itself. Later, Mrs. Rafferty and a young woman named Mary McCormick resided in the house, taking in laundry which they washed in the basement using water carried from sprints in today’s Gerry Park. In 1944, Arnold Craft, an automobile and aviation mechanic, purchased and improved the dwelling by adding central heating, plumbing, new flooring windows and insulation. After renting to a variety of tenants, Mr. Craft made additional improvements to the property and he and his wife lived there until his death in 1974.
In 1981, Thomas and Patricia Loeb acquired the property and embarked on a restoration program, returning the house to its original appearance. The present owners purchased the house from the Loebs in March 1989 with a disassembled barn from Bristol, Vermont. Utilizing materials from the barn and designs provided by local architect, Guy Ladd Frost, the couple erected the rear two – story addition that is connected to the original house by a one – story dining ell. The French doors in the dining room allow access to the lovely gardens on the south side of the property
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