I located an old newspaper clipping (unknown publisher)probably written by Jeanne Judson dated approximatley 1925 which I transcribed it as best as I could below. There were some parts that were unreadable. There is also some confusion over who the actual builder was, Benjamin or Israel Horton.

Horton House Was Built Before Revolution

"On the road between Bellvale and Sugar Loaf, perched on the hillside and overlooking one of the prettiest valleys in the county, stands the old stone house built by Benjamin Horton, in the year 1766.
The house is now(aabt. 1925) owned by Millard Poppino whose family has been in possesion of it for almost 75 years. In its 159 years of life the house has sheltered three different families, all representative of the oldest settlers of Orange County.
Early Settler

Benjamin Horton, the builder was a direct descendant of that Barnabas Horton who came to America in 1635 on the "Swallow" and settled at Southold, L.I. in 1640. Benjamin Horton was a captain in the Colonial troops during the French and Indian wars. His son Milton Horton, inherited the house from him and sold it to Benjamin Sayer who bequethed to William EllisonSayer. Ellison made additions to the house in wood so that it is now quite large, but the original stone house does not comprise many rooms, although these are commodious. A cellar which might easily have been a dinning room at one time, five first floor rooms and a big attic over all. The kitchen is in the now(1925) in the more recently built wooden part of the house, but the fireplace remains in the room that was formerly used as a kitchen as do three others of the original fireplaces.
Mrs. Poppino was Miss Dyckman before her marriage and from her old home she brought many pieces of early American furniture that fit perfectly into the atmosphere of this old stone house.

Grandmother's Furniture
The quaintly fashioned iron fire dogs came from her grandmother as did an old mahagony framed mirror and a pair of glass candelabra of early American maufacture for the mantle. Beside them is a candle snuffer once the property of Mrs. Poppino's great aunt. In the kitchen is an old dresser that must certainly have been one of the earliest pieces of American made furniture, built of cherry(part unreadable....)all of these old stone houses, with walls a good two feet thick such wood as was used in the construction being secured by handwrought nails. The doors are beautiful six panel affairs of early days with long strap hinges and brass knobs.The windows, deep set and many paned are placed high above the floor and are proteceted by blinds.

Orange County Stock

Millard Poppino, the present owner(1925) owner of the house, like the previous owners, the Sayers and Hortons, comes of an old Orange County family. His father, Clarence Poppino bought the house of Ellison Sayer in 18?? and the family has lived there ever since. This particular branch of the family has for many years given their name the Anglicised spelling but the other members retain the French spelling, Poppineau , which was used by the first settler of that name in the country.

With the exception of the wood addition built by Ellison Sayer there has been no change in it since it was built by Benjamin Horton. Such old relics as the house contains have been carefully preserved so that in many ways it ranks among the most authentic example of Revolutionary architecture in the county."

 

1766 Horton-Sayer House
Built by Israel or Benjamin Horton

This photo shows the addition to the original stone structure. This is a 1725 wooden building that was dismantled in New Hampshire and brought here and reassembled on a new foundation in 1986. It enhances the property beautifully.