Bostwick
Following the deaths of Rebecca in 1802 and Stoddert in 1813, the house was purchased by John Stephen, a lawyer and local judge. Bostwick remained in the family for many years. After the death of John Stephen in 1844, ownership of the property passed to his son, Nicholas. When Nicholas Stephen died in 1881, his daughter, Julianna Duedionne, became its owner. Julianna’s husband, Jules Duedionne, was an artist and painted the two murals in the large south drawing room. The Duedionnes, however, lost the property in 1891 when they defaulted on the mortgage.
Bostwick was next purchased by Mr. and Mrs. James H. Kyner in 1904. The Kyners made extensive renovations to the property including the addition of the Greek revival front porch as well as the addition of the dormers on the east and west sides of the third story. They also replaced many of the windows, most particularly the front windows on the first story and the Palladian window in the library. New front and rear entrance doors were also put in place during this renovation. Significant changes were made at this time to the interior as well, most noticeably the new stairway and ornamental wall treatments in the central hall, stairway, and library. Upon the death of Kyner and his wife, Bostwick was inherited by their daughter, Susanna Kyner Christophane. Mrs. Chirstophane’s daughter, Susanna Yatman, owned the property until she sold it to the town of Bladensburg in the late 1990s.
*All information was taken from Bostwick’s National Register Application dated 1975.
Resources
Bostwick House Report
Bostwick House Staff Update