July 1, 2009
By Anthony P. Musso
Poughkeepsie Journal
JACKSON CORNERS - While Milan is currently comprised of two hamlets — Lafayetteville and Rock City — during the 19th century it boasted several others, the most prominent being Jackson Corners.
"The number of hamlets that made up Milan varied during our history," town historian Patrick Higgins said of Milan, which was incorporated as a town in 1818. "While Jackson Corners is no longer a hamlet, it was quite a central spot in Milan years ago."
Still standing in the center of the former hamlet is the Jackson Corners Country Store, located at the corner of Turkey Hill and Jackson Corners roads. Built in 1773, it has served as a stage inn, doctor's office, hotel, town polling booth and post office.
It was also the first meeting place for a vigilante committee that was formed to oppose horse thieves.
"The store was built by Hugh Rae and was the heartthrob of Milan," Higgins said. "Rae moved here from Ireland and married Margaret Knickerbocker, whose father owned the property that the store is on.
"Rae was a captain in North East Company of the Continental Army during the American Revolution," he said.
While the militia's frequent visits to the store for supplies were initially perceived as a boon for the business, it nearly bankrupted the operation.
"They kept coming down and purchasing supplies at the store, but they were paying Rae in Continental scrip and he almost went broke because of it," Higgins said.
The store provided service for passengers of the Nobletown Stage, a coach route that extended north to Barrington, N.H. The road that fronts the store was also used by the Taconic Iron Mine to transport ore by wagon to the Hudson River for shipment by boat.
"There was also a railroad station at Jackson Corners, located just beyond the store," Higgins said.
In 1840, Jackson Corners included 25 private homes and one church. At the time Milan had 1,725 residents, a figure that would dwindle to 622 by 1930, a fact Higgins attributed to the Great Depression.
Robert Rogoshewski and Melissa Curtis purchased the Jackson Corners Country Store in 1985, but discontinued its general store operation in 2000. They now run an antiques business there.
"When we bought it, I was told that the store was the oldest continually operating business in New York," Rogoshewski said. "When IBM downsized in 1992, a lot of people moved from this area and it became a large weekend community. There just wasn't enough to sustain the business."
With residential growth gradually climbing in Jackson Corners in recent years, the couple has considered reinstating the landmark building to its original purpose as a general store.
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