Secretary's Minutes

Edited by AMY PEARCE VER NOOY

The Year Book is published in December. Copies of the Year Book are mailed to those members whose dues are paid for the current year. Single issues are sold for $3.00 each and may be obtained through the secretary or the treasurer. Address: The Dutchess County Historical Society, Poughkeepsie, New York.

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OCCASIONAL PUBLICATIONS

OF THE DUTCHESS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

1916—PAMPHLET, Troutbeck, 1 Dutchess County Homestead; by Charles E. Benton. Out of print. 1924—CoLLEcTioNs,VoL. 1; Poughkeepsie, The Origin and Meaning of the Word; by Helen Wilkinson Reynolds. (Price: $5.00) 1924—CoLLEcnoNs, VOL. II; Old Gravestones of Dutchess County, New York; collected and edited by J. Wilson Poucher, M. D., and Helen Wilkinson Reynolds. (Price: $20.00) 1928—COLLECTIONS, VOL. III; Records of the Town of Hyde Park, Dutchess County, New York; edited by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Edition exhausted.

1930-COLLECTIONS, VOL. IV; Notices of Marriages and Deaths in Newspapers printed at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., 1778-1825; compiled and edited by Helen Wilkinson Reynolds. (Price: $5.00) 1932—COLLECTIONS, VOL. V; Records of the Reformed Dutch Church of New Hackensack, Dutchess County, New York; edited by Maria Bockee Carpenter Tower. (Price: $10.00) 1938—COLLECTIONS, VOL. VI; Eighteenth Century Records of the portion of Dutchess County, New York that was included in Rombout Precinct and the original Town of Fishkill. Collected by William -Willis Reese. Edited by Helen Wilkinson Reynolds. (Price: $10.00) 1940—COLLECTIONS, VOL. VII; Records of Crum Elbow Precinct, Dutchess County. Edited by Franklin D. Roosevelt. (Price: $15.00) 1958—CoLLEcnoNs, VoL. VIII; Family Vista, the Memoirs of Margaret Chanler illdrich. (Price: $4.50)

A few copies of some of the above publications are available at the prices listed. For information address: Mrs. Amy Ver Nooy, Secretary, Dutchess County Historical Society, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.

ANNUAL MEETING

May 13, 1961

The annual meeting of the Dutchess County Historical Society was held on Saturday morning, May 13, 1961, at the Nelson House, Poughkeepsie. The meeting was called to order at 11:30 a. m., President MacCracken presiding.

The minutes of the semi-annual meeting, held October 21, 1960, were read and approved.

The treasurer's report was given by Miss Traver and was approved as read.

The secretary reported that the society had lost some members by resignation and the following members by death: Mr. John K. Benedict, Mr. Roland S. Child, Mrs. A. Allendorph Schoonmaker and a vice-president, representing the Town of Pine Plains, Mr. George E. Schryver.

Dr. MacCracken announced that Miss Ruth A. Halstead had resigned as chairman of the Glebe House committee and that Mrs. Theodore Van Kleeck Swift had been appointed to that office. Mrs. Swift read a report which she had prepared and which was accepted as read. She suggested that the society join with the Junior League and the Poughkeepsie Garden Club in plans for an open house day in June at the Glebe House. She said an inventory of the furnishings of the house was in preparation and suggested a ten-year plan for the restoration and pointed out the responsibility of the society in the plan. She asked that a sum of money be assigned to the committee for the purchase of supplies and minor furnishings. After discussion, the president suggested that expenditures to the amount of $50.00 be approved and that bills or vouchers for amounts spent be sent to the treasurer. This was approved.

The secretary stated that it had been reported by the local philatelic society that there was still a possibility that a commemorative stamp honoring the centennial of Vassar College might be issued. She said that a second letter had been sent by the society to the Postmaster General urging that the recently appointed Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee reconsider the request made for a Vassar commemorative.

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Mr. John A. Wolf gave a report, sent by Mr. Frank Mylod, concerning the present status of the Caroline Thorn Wells residence. There were questions and some discussion and the president said he would appoint a committee of five members to look over the property to discover if it would be feasible for this society to take action to obtain possession of the estate. This committee would report its findings to the Board of Trustees.

The president stated that the trustees had under consideration the opportunity of sharing the Vassar Institute building. Mr. Herbert Gindele reported on the condition of the building as he had gone over it. Following discussion, it was moved and seconded that no decision be made on the Vassar Institute plan until the Board of Trustees had made a decision with regard to the Wells property.

Mr. Cookingham reported that he had recently returned from Greece, where he had spent the winter, and that he had received no information concerning the present whereabouts of the Cookingham family Bible. He repeated his offer to pay $100 for the Bible, which he wished to present to the society, or he would pay $25.00 for information as to its location.

There was some discussion with reference to the "Pink House," but there seemed to be no definite information concerning its possible preservation.

The secretary told that Mr. Stott Anderson had reported that the twenty-first and the twenty-third milestones on the Dutchess Turnpike had been reset and encased. He had also reported that the stone marking four miles from the court house had been damaged by the weather and was in need of repair. Miss Traver reported that two of the milestones on Route 9 and the 25th marker on the Dutchess Turnpike needed to be reset on the highways. The secretary was asked to write the New York State Department of Public Works, thanking the department for the care already taken to preserve the milestones and asking that attention be given to those still in need of repair.

Dr. MacCracken mentioned that dedication ceremonies would take place at the mansion, Boscobel, on Sunday, May 21, at Garrison, New York. He told of the tremendous amount of labor involved in the restoration of the building which had been removed to its present location from the site of the veterans' hospital near Yonkers. He recommended that the members visit the restoration which will be open to the public after the first of June.

The president read an invitation from the Historical Society of

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Quaker Hill and Vicinity, extended to the members of this society, to attend the opening of the Quaker Hill Natural History Museum on July 27, 1961.

Dr. MacCracken announced that the society had received as a gift, from Mr. Almon Beneway, a ten dollar bank note, dated May 21, 1861, drawn on the Dutchess Bank and signed by Alexander Forbus. It was also announced that Mrs. Fred C. Daniels had presented to the society a typed list of death notices which had probably been copied from Poughkeepsie newspapers. Most of the deaths had occurred in the 1840's and had originally been pasted in an old account book. They had been put in alphabetical order and copied.

Mr. Van Wyck, for the nominating committee, offered a slate of officers which would include, for a term of two years, the re-election of Dr. MacCracken for president, ]\/Ir. Baltus B. Van Kleeck, vicepresident, Miss Traver, treasurer, Mrs. Ver Nooy, secretary; four trustees, for a term of four years: Mr. Joseph B. Bisbee, Dr. C. 0. Davison, Mr. Newton D. Deuel and Mrs. Theodore Van Kleeck Swift; and Mrs. William B. Jordan as a vice-president, representing the Town of Pine Plains. It was moved and seconded that the secretary cast one ballot for the election of the officers.

The following names were submitted and were elected: life members: Mr. George M. Gill and Mrs. Spraker Francke ; annual members: Mr. Raymond G. Baumbusch, Mrs. Martin Berry, Mr. Ben Brown, Miss Bernice Dodge, Miss Dorothy L. Flint, Dr. Milton Grover, Mrs. E. Stuart Hubbard, Jr., Mrs. Martha Innes, Mr. Leon L. Jaminet, Mrs. George W. Krieger, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Opperman, Mrs. Pamela B. Pechmann, Miss Marguerite -W. Strehlau and Mr. Theodore Van Kleeck Swift.

At the conclusion of the business meeting, the guests assembled in the dining room where an excellent luncheon was enjoyed.

Following the luncheon, the president introduced Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence B. Holdridge and told of their interest in locating portraits which had been painted in the middle years of the nineteenth century by Ammi Phillips. Mr. and 1VIrs. Holdridge showed a large collection of slides and Mrs. Holdridge gave a lively and interesting talk in which she described the outstanding characteristics of the work of Phillips. A number of members and friends were pleased to report that they had portraits painted by the artist. Mrs. Joseph A. Butler brought to the meeting a portrait of Caroline Jane Opie which she had inherited from her mother and which was the work of Ammi

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Phillips.

The meeting was closed with a rising vote of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Holdridge.

Amy Ver Nooy, Secretary

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

October 2, 1961

A meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Dutchess County Historical Society was held in the office of i\/Ir. Baltus B. Van Kleeck at the Poughkeepsie Savings Bank on Monday afternoon, October 2, 1961.

Present: The President, the Vice-President, Mrs. Anderson, Mr. Bisbee, Mr. Buck, Judge Schwartz, Miss Suckley, Mr. Van Wyck, the treasurer and the secretary.

The President stated that the meeting had been called to consider the possible gift (subject to prior sale) of the house in the town of Rhinebeck, known as "The Grove." He read a letter from Mr. Malcolm E. Smith, offering to the society, in the names of Mrs. Smith and Mrs. William W. Hoffman, a part of the estate and the house which was built, about 1795, by Philip J. Schuyler. The offer also included the gift of $25,000, an amount which could be used to put the house in such repair that it could serve as a museum and as a home for the society.

There was much discussion of the proposal and a consideration of the assets of the society, which include the permanent fund of $8,794 and the Helen Wilkinson Reynolds Memorial Fund of about $2,500. It was estimated that the proper maintenance of the property could require an annual income from a half-million dollars in endowment. Mr. Van Kleeck and the other trustees cited the costs of operating and maintaining other museums which they had visited in this state. After long discussion and with much regret, it was finally decided that the officers could not at this time see their way to accepting the kind offer and pledging their successors to the maintenance of the project. It was moved and seconded that the society extend its thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Smith and to Mrs. Hoffman and express its deep regret that it did not deem it advisable to accept the offer because of a lack of funds.

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Mrs. Swift, chairman of the Glebe House committee, told of the open house day, held Sunday, September 24, at the Glebe House, under the auspices of the Junior League of Poughkeepsie and this society. She reported a very successful and pleasant occasion. She also reported that she had talked with the Mayor and the City Manager with reference to the removal of the small shed attached to the east wall of the Glebe House. It was moved and seconded that this society in conjunction with the Junior League and the Poughkeepsie Garden Club, make a request of the Common Council that the city remove the shed, which was an addition to the original house and could become a fire hazard. It was suggested that a small brick building could be erected in the northeast corner of the garden plot to house the garden tools, etc., now in the shed.

A brief report of the recent pilgrimage was made and the secretary was requested to write the officers of the East Fishkill Historical Society, Mrs. Finkel, Mr. Wright W. Jackson, Mr. Smith Townsend, Mr. Frederick H. Lewis, Executive Director of the Herald Tribune Fresh Air Fund, and Mr. and Mrs. Victor E. Nelson, thanking all of them for their kindnesses extended on the occasion of the trip.

There was some discussion of the possible acquisition of the Caroline Thorn Wells property in Rhinebeck and it was reported that a strip of land, 15 by 200 feet, had been sold to the owner of adjoining property. Judge Schwartz and Mr. Van Wyck were asked to make further inquiries concerning the present status of the estate.

There was no further business to be discussed and, on motion, the meeting adjourned.

Amy Ver Nooy, Secretary

SEMI - ANNUAL MEETING

October 27, 1961

The semi-annual meeting of the Dutchess County Historical Society was held on Friday, October 27, at the Nelson House, Poughkeepsie. In the absence of the president, the meeting was called to order at 11:30 a. m. by the vice president, Mr. Van Kleeck.

The minutes of the annual meeting, held May 13, and of a meeting of the Board of Trustees, held October 2, were read and approved.

The treasurer gave a report covering the first half of the year,

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through June 30, and a brief statement of receipts and expenditures since that date. They were accepted as read.

The secretary reported that the society had lost six members by death: Mrs. Jean H. Bower, Mrs. E. Sterling Carter, Mr. Victor J. McQuade, Miss Margaret M. Reese, Mrs. Agnes McGlynn Schultz and Mrs. Robert E. Wunderly.

Mrs. Swift reported, for the Glebe House committee, that the open house day had proved a pleasant and gratifying occasion. She told of the work which had been done, inside and out, to further the restoration of the house. She reported that a handsome bird-cage table had been received as a gift from Miss Annette Young, one of the vicepresidents of the society, and had been placed in the parlor. She also said that the license issued by the Dutchess County Medical Society, in May of 1808, to Dr. Henry Sleght and presented by his greatgranddaughter, Miss Mary L. Overocker, had been hung in the rector's study. Mrs. Swift said that a complete list of the furnishings, with the names of the persons who had either given or loaned the articles, was in preparation and that a detailed floor plan had been made. Both of these should prove useful in obtaining appropriate furniture and furnishings in the future. She also reported that the Poughkeepsie Garden Club had done much to renovate and improve the appearance of the yard and hoped for a ten-year plan which would gradually bring the garden to a state of perfection. She mentioned the possibility of entering the Glebe House in a civic beautification contest sponsored by the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State.

Mr. Frank H. Lacy, who had already published in the newspaper editorial comment on the pilgrimage, gave an enthusiastic report of the day.

In the absence of a curator, the secretary reported that the society had received several gifts of importance: miscellaneous records, papers and deeds pertaining to Dutchess County, the gift of Mr. E. Morse Merrihew ; a Cookingham Family Bible, printed in 1755, presented by the late Mrs. C. Jonathan Slocum; $100 in memory of Mr. Harry T. Briggs, the gift of his daughter, Mrs. Robert F. Ridgeway; a family chart of a branch of the descendants of Phillipus Moor, the gift of Mr. W. Allan Moore of Charleston, S. C. and, from the Sharon Historical Society, a prospectus of the Poughkeepsie Female Academy, 1839, and clippings from the New York Daily Graphic, June 12, 1876, with part of a descriptive and illustrated article on Poughkeepsie.

Mr. Van Kleeck told of the offer made to the society by Mr.

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and Mrs. Malcolm E. Smith and Mrs. William W. Hoffman, of a part of the estate called "The Grove," located east of Rhinebeck. He said that the trustees had considered the matter from all points of view and had most regretfully decided that the financial state of the society would not justify them in accepting the gift and imposing an obligation on their successors. He emphasized the historical value of the property and the beauty of the surroundings and the house, built about 1795 by Philip J. Schuyler, and expressed his own regret and that of the other trustees in declining the offer.

Mrs. Hackett was asked to tell about the Quaker Hill Natural History Museum and the visit of the members of this society to the Akin Library and the opening of the museum on July 27. She described the vast collection, the gift of Mrs. Raymond M. Gunnison, who conducted a tour of the museum. She felt that the museum was a great asset to the county and would be invaluable for the use of students. She advised those members who had not yet visited the museum to do so.

The secretary reported that, after publication of the request of Mr. Harris N. Cookingham for information concerning the whereabouts of the Cookingham Family Bible, the late Mrs. C. Jonathan Slocum of Beacon had presented to the historical society a German Bible, printed in 1755, which contains records of the family of Michael Cookingham. (These records are printed in another part of this issue of the year book.)

Mr. Van Kleeck said that he had hoped to be able to report something definite about the possibility of the acquisition of the Caroline T. Wells house at Rhinebeck. He quoted from the will of Miss Wells and said that the committee had conferred with the executor of the estate and that an inspection of the property would be permitted in the near future.

The secretary read a request of Supervisor Thomas D. Mahar, of the Town of Poughkeepsie, that a marker be placed on North Grand Avenue, indicating that this road was used at the time of the Revolutionary War and was an old established stage coach route. She said that she had written Mr. Mahar explaining the policy of the office of the State Historian with reference to highway markers. She also reported that a request had been received from Sleepy Hollow Restorations for graphic materials, drawings, prints, maps or surveys which would illustrate the seventeenth and eighteenth century appearance of the Philipsburg Manor site.

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