6 . ▁ ▁Though ▁the ▁exact ▁date ▁of ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁house ▁at ▁B elf ield ▁is ▁not ▁known , ▁Pe ale ▁later ▁wrote ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁built ▁" by ▁a ▁Dutch man ". ▁ ▁As ▁We ber ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁Dutch ▁imm igr ant , ▁this ▁would ▁date ▁the ▁house ▁to ▁som etime ▁after ▁ 1 7 5 5 . ▁ ▁We ber ▁sold ▁the ▁property ▁to ▁his ▁ten ant ▁Richard ▁Ne ave ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 4 , ▁not ▁having ▁lived ▁on ▁the ▁property ▁himself ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 7 7 0 s . ▁ ▁Ne ave ▁owned ▁the ▁property ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 9 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁his ▁ten ants , ▁Charles ▁and ▁Mary ▁Gr é go ire . ▁ ▁The ▁Gr é go ires ▁possessed ▁the ▁property ▁for ▁just ▁three ▁months ▁before ▁putting ▁it ▁up ▁for ▁sale . ▁ ▁Charles ▁Will son ▁Pe ale ▁ ▁Se ek ing ▁to ▁ret ire , ▁Charles ▁Will son ▁Pe ale ▁turned ▁over ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁his ▁natural ▁history ▁museum ▁to ▁his ▁son , ▁Rub ens , ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁look ▁for ▁a ▁small ▁country ▁estate . ▁ ▁He ▁purchased ▁the ▁land ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 0 ▁from ▁Charles ▁Gr é go ire ▁for ▁$ 9 5 0 0 . ▁ ▁Pe ale ▁initially ▁named ▁the ▁estate ▁' F arm ▁Per se vere ', ▁and ▁wrote ▁to ▁Thomas ▁Jefferson , ▁telling ▁him ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁because ▁" by ▁labor ▁and ▁per