History of the Stone Bear Sanctuary

The native Iroquois people had a settlement near the Susquehanna River, about six miles away, and lived there longer than anyone could know. Since they were so close, they would have come to the Sanctuary to hunt wild game like White-Tailed Deer, wild turkeys, grouse, and rabbits that they would eat. They used every part of the animals, including the soft deer leather for clothing, feathers for headdresses, kilts, and other decorations, and rabbit furs for winter clothing. They also hunted other fur-bearing animals that lived there, like foxes and bears, for winter clothing and blankets.

The Iroquois also came throughout the year to gather other wild edibles. In late winter, they would come to tap the Sugar Maples for their deliciously sweet sap. The Iroquois even have a story about how Chief Woksis threw his tomahawk at a maple tree in the cold of winter. Then, when the sun warmed the sap the next day, the hole left in the tree filled with tasty syrup, and that was how maple syrup was born. The people would return in the spring to harvest wild leeks, young nettles, and fiddleheads. They would have returned again in summer to gather wild cherries and summer mushrooms. Then, they would forage for acorns, other wild nuts, and roots from lilies and the American Groundnut in the fall. It was also a time to harvest the diverse fall mushrooms so abundant in the hardwood forests. It would have been an almost unimaginable time of beauty and bounty, living in harmony with the nature around them.

Then, in 1807, the small village of Windsor was established, about 5 miles from the Sanctuary. Even today, Windsor is still a small village, with the surrounding private lands all large, with some farms in the river valley and heavily Forested in the hills, and rich in wildlife. It would not have been much different than it is today, like a place out of time.

The Cheeseman Family 1875 - 1930s

Records of property owners were lacking before 1875, but that was the year the Cheeseman family bought the land. They developed the land, made fields for agriculture and livestock, and even had a tiny stone quarry.

When the lands owners, the Cheeseman’s, died in the 1930s, it was still held by the Cheeseman family but was left idle for 60 years. This left the land free for the wildlife to flourish, raising generations of bears, deer, foxes, birds, and other animals. At the same time, the forest and its trees continued to age and gain in diversity, beauty, and serenity, virtually undisturbed by modern humans.

The New Chapter: Land Purchase in 1991

Robert Bellospirito, entrepreneur and photographer, had grown up in the woods of Long Island near Oyster Bay, just 25 miles from New York City. When he was a child, there were still forests and horse fields, but gradually, as time passed, developers bought up the land to build houses. 

Then, there were no more woods, no horse farms, and nowhere to go out and connect with nature. So, Robert came to Upstate New York, just 2 ½ hours from the city, to find a place to reconnect with the nature that he longed for. 

In 1991, he discovered this 37-acre parcel of beautiful forested land rich in wildlife and began the most incredible chapter of his life.

While living on Long Island, he would go up every weekend and start logging and clearing the overgrown fields. After choosing a spot for the house, he cut in a driveway. Then, in 1992, Robert brought concrete blocks to build the foundation and lumber to build his cabin on his weekend excursions. He enjoyed being immersed in the lush forest, spending more time with wildlife than people, on such pristine land undisturbed for so many decades.

Devonian Stone of New York

In 1993, after finishing most of the house and after Robert saw the small, 8-foot by 4-foot wide by 3-foot deep hole that was the original stone quarry on the land, he decided to learn about the geology of New York state. 

He discovered that the rock was a type of bluestone used for centuries for paving and building. It’s a Devonian Sandstone that was formed about 380 million years ago, the sedimentary stone was deposited in the Devonian period when colliding continents pushed together and created an inland sea. His land was part of a river delta on the sea’s edge, filling with sediments and forming his Devonian stone. 

The rocks he discovered were closer to the surface, where the freeze and thaw cycles split it, creating unique thin layers of greens, browns, and blues. As he dug deeper, he got thicker cuts of blue Devonian stones.

After learning the history and admiring the gorgeous stones in his quarry, he became convinced that he could leave the city life behind and live among nature and wildlife while earning a living from his small quarry. So, in March of 1994, he moved to the Sanctuary, added an addition to his house, and started to develop his quarry. In 1995, he officially began Devonian Stone of New York, Inc. Only Devonian Stone company in the World!

In 1996, he built his first business building nestled in a small valley away from the house and installed the first stone saw with a 6-foot diamond blade. He cut the solid rock with the diamond blades and sold his custom-cut Devonian stone. In 1997, he added a second building; in 1998, he expanded the existing business building and put up a third one. He also built a private runway for his planes and planted grass on it.

Then, in 2002, he built the Architectural shop as his business grew. His shop has done custom stone jobs for customers like Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, the Dakota Apartment Building, Smithsonian Institute, Apple, Colgate, Rutgers University, and many more. While he eventually moved to adjacent lands to expand the quarry, the business remained at the Sanctuary.