Quarterly Bulletin
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THE NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY Quarterly Bulletin VOLUME XXVI JULY 1942 NUMBER THREE W^mwmmmmmmjgg^ SWSML-^,. • - ,.„ _- ' -'-* • FLAG WITH THIRTEEN STARS REPRESENTING THE THIRTEEN ORIGINAL STATES Hand-woven cotton, hand-sewn flag, from the old Porter House, Nelsonville, Putnam County, N. Y. Published by the Society and Issued to Members NEW YORK: 170 CENTRAL PARK WEST OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY UNTIL JANUARY, 1944 President GEORGE A. ZABRISKIE First Vice-President Second Vice-President ROBERT E. DOWLING FENWICK BEEKMAN, M.D. Third Vice-President Fourth Vice-President HENRY PARISH* JAMES LENOX BANKS Foreign Corresponding Secretary Domestic Corresponding Secretary ARCHER M. HUNTINGTON LUCIUS WILMERDING Recording Secretary Treasurer DEWITT M. LOCKMAN WILLIAM T. VAN ALSTYNE Director ALEXANDER J. WALL BOARD OF TRUSTEES First Class—for one year, ending 1943 LE ROY E. KIMBALL LOUIS C. WILLS ARTHUR SUTHERLAND Second Class—for two years, ending 1944 ARTHUR DELANO WEEKES JOHN V. IRWIN MILLARD L. ROBINSON, D.D. Third Class—for three years, ending 194s EUGENE A. HOFFMAN LEWIS L. DELAFIELD FORSYTH WICKES Fourth Class—for four years, ending 1946 fELT ARTHUR A. JONES * Deceased. The President's Communication OMETHING like a year ago, in order to close the S Thompson estate, his country residence at East Hampton was offered for sale. Out of gratitude and a desire to honor the memory of a gentleman who did so much for this Society, we purchased the property, feeling that he would like nothing bet ter than to have his home preserved to render service and give pleasure if possible to his old neighbors and residents of Long Island. Charles Griswold Thompson, the subject of this communica tion, was born at 25 Lafayette Place, New York City, on April 26, 1840, and died at 36 East 67th Street on December 8, 1919. His ancestors came to this country in 1656 settling on Long Island and founding the town of Brookhaven. A hundred years later we find the family living in Sagtikos Manor. Sagtikos, an Indian name meaning "Appletree neck" because of its shape, purchased by Colonel Stephanus Van Cortlandt in 1692, is a narrow strip of land running from Great South Bay across the island to the Sound, about eight miles, near the present City of 51 The New-York Historical Society Babylon, and containing 1206 acres. It was acquired at a cost of ;C45- It was Jonathan Thompson who purchased Sagtikos Manor for his son Isaac in 1758, and this was the Thompson country home for a century and a half. Charles Griswold's grandfather was a West Indian importing merchant and his father was Presi dent of the New York Life Insurance and Trust Company from 1846 to 1871 and was also Vice-President of the Bank of Amer ica. Charles was elected a trustee of the New York Life in 1872, THOMPSON HOMESTEAD, OCEAN AVENUE, EAST HAMPTON, N. Y. succeeding his father, and served in that capacity and as Vice- President until his death. He was also a director of the Union Square Savings Bank and a member of the Century and Metro politan Clubs. His country home at East Hampton, now the property of this Society, was purchased by him about fifty years ago and alterations were made under the guidance of McKim, Mead and White, architects. The house is old-fashioned, spa cious, the grounds well landscaped affording a view of the Atlantic Ocean, in fact it is about what one would expect of a successful and well-to-do business man before the days of in come taxes. Mr. Thompson was regarded by his neighbors as 52 Quarterly Bulletin a man of sterling character, just in all his dealings, greatly inter ested in the welfare of East Hampton and its institutions: a liberal supporter of his church, the free library, all other civic organizations, and for many years was one of the leading mem bers and a director of the Maidstone Club. By the time you read this, we shall have surveyed the place, THOMPSON HOMESTEAD, EAST HAMPTON rear view made some repairs, and installed a summer exhibit calculated to interest history-minded people who have the inclination to stop in and look it over. Of course the restrictions on gas and tires will prevent a good many New Yorkers from driving down to the east end of the island this year but there are a number of the members who make their summer homes nearby and the Long Island Railroad summer schedule is not bad. Subject to change we shall fix up exhibits of costumes from 1830 to 1890, early American household utensils, methods of lighting from the beginning of time up to now, toys and dolls 53 The New-York Historical Society of all periods. We shall also attempt to restore a Thompson room with many of the family portraits and belongings, the idea being to preserve as a memorial not only the residence but also the atmosphere and surroundings of an estate prevailing with substantial business and professional men of the country a half century ago—rapidly disappearing now. GEORGE A. ZABRISKIE JENNY LIND FESTIVAL HIS year's June meeting, on Monday afternoon June Teighth, commemorated the memory of Jenny Lind, who made her American debut in New York City, in Castle Garden, in 1850. President George A. Zabriskie greeted the members and guests of the Society and welcomed them to this annual festival. Mr. Leonidas Westervelt, of the Board of Trustees, told about his lifelong quest for objects which once belonged to, or are associated with, the noted singer. Mr. Westervelt is the leading collector of Jenny Lind memorabilia, and has had many interesting experiences while gathering them in Europe and America. Miss Elsie Semke, soprano, a student at the Washington Irving High School, sang some of Jenny Lind's favorite songs, accom panied by Miss Anna R. Hoffman at the piano. The audience joined in singing "Old Folks at Home" and "Annie Laurie." Everyone then adjourned to the Society's garden, to enjoy straw berries and cream and a friendly hour in the afternoon sunshine. Guests and members had an opportunity of viewing a small part of Mr. Westervelt's large and outstanding Jenny Lind col lection. Some three hundred objects selected from his private museum in his own home were exhibited for the occasion on the main floor. 54 THE ALBANY GLASS WORKS AND SOME OF THEIR RECORDS HE Hamilton Manufacturing Society, also known as the TAlbany Glass Works, had a short but varied existence. It was one of the early glass houses in New York State and was in operation from 1785 to 1815, at Guilderland, about six miles west of Albany. As the records of this business were scattered, the story of the company has had to be pieced together from general histories, newspaper advertisements, and such papers and letters as have come to light in various places. The New-York Historical Society has a box of these papers in its manuscript collection and so has the opportunity to add another chapter to the story. A recent account of the glass works was published by Arthur B. Gregg in Old Hellebergh, printed in 1936 by the Altamont Enterprise, at Altamont, New York. His articles on local history appeared originally in the Altamont Enterprise, and included an account of the Hamilton Manufacturing Society which was lo cated at nearby Guilderland. Shortly after Mr. Gregg's article appeared, Harry Hall White wrote about "The Albany Glass Works" in the magazine Antiques for July, 1936. Mr. White added a good deal to the story, getting many of his facts from a collection of unpublished papers owned at that time by a dealer in Michigan. The glass house was started in 1785 as the Dowesborough or Dowesburgh Glass House by Leonard De Neufville. The De Neufvilles lived in Amsterdam, Holland, where they had played an important role in the American Revolution, acting as agents for supplies in the Netherlands. Because of these activities the family fortune was swept away, and the son Leonard came to this country after the Revolutionary War to begin again. His travels finally brought him to Albany and he decided to settle near there. On May 12,1785, he drew up Articles of Agreement 55 The New-York Historical Society for the glass house with Ferdinand Walfahrt, works manager, and John Heefke, business agent. At this point in the story several letters owned by The New- York Historical Society add new details. On December 20, 1786, a letter from John Van Schaick in Albany to Leonard De Neuf- ville in New York City informed him of the sad news that "The glass house is fallen down in a snow storm." In spite of this catas trophe work was speedily resumed, for five months later, on May 16, 1787, Van Schaick reported to De Neufville, who was then in Philadelphia: The last clay from Amboy proves Good Mr. Heefke who was here yesterday expects in 3 or 4 weeks to be able to make Glass the green and white Glass makers returning from N York who were oblige occasioned by the uneasiness of the workman to go down for Verte Clay the first not being good. During the following year business grew steadily. On Decem ber 1 st, 17 8 8, John Heefke, then in New York, wrote to Leonard De Neuf ville at the Dowesborough Glass House: It will be of great Dammage to us if we do not get glass this winter for we may sell a great quantity if we have it as glass is high in town at preasant which makes the people run to us for glass as ours Comes some thing cheaper.