Glebe House

GLEBE HOUSE REPORT

Glebe House has had an active year with many members of both the Junior League and the Historical Society engaged in a variety of activities. Several members of the Poughkeepsie Garden Club continue to improve the garden and grounds, and a continuing interest and aid came from John W. Nelson Superintendent of the Poughkeepsie Board of Public Works. The Joint committee, Junior League and Historical Society representatives, was composed of the following: Mrs. Edward Kerin and Mrs. Jean B. Courtney co-chairmen, Mrs. Anthony Quartararo, secretary, Mrs. Edward Davis, treasurer, Mrs. Peter R. Mund, Mrs. Samuel A. Moore, Mrs. Andrew L. Mund, Mrs. Herbert Roig, Mrs. Walter Averill, Mrs. David Hannan, Frank V. Myloci, Edmund Van Wyck and Balms B. Van Kleeck.

The Historical Society Trustee meetings have been held at Glebe House, and on many occasions other meetings of the committees of the League and the Society have been held there. The house has been open for visitors daily except on Wednesday from one to five in the afternoon, and during 1969 over 2,100 individuals were welcomed. The visits by a great many school groups continued again throughout the year.

Three special events took place: the planting of another tree, a crabapple, by the Poughkeepsie Garden Club on Arbor Day; an Open House and Crafts Day and "Flea Market" on June 8th; and the annual Christmas open house during the holiday season. The Arbor Day event was arranged by Mrs. Walter Averill and was attended by the president of the Garden Club, Mrs. Helen Ludolph, several members of the Garden Club, and representatives of the Junior League and the Historical Society.

Crafts Day included demonstrations of the art of candle making, flower arrangements and crewel work. Several antiques dealers were invited to participate and a "Flea Market" was arranged on the lawn north of the house. The committee in charge of Crafts Day included Mrs. Robert Southworth, Mrs. Herbert Roig, Mrs. Helen H. Schoonmaker, Mrs. Glen Osberg, Mrs. Richard Strain, Mrs. Louis La Motte, 3rd., Mrs. Thomas Hartshorn, Mrs. Peter Mund, and Mrs. Charles Mitchell. The house and grounds were in very good order and the day was a great success due to the diligent efforts of the committee members.

Open House at Christmas time drew the usual large number of visitors. Glebe House was beautifully decorated with Christmas greens and all who visited enjoyed the day a great deal. The chairman of the day was Mrs. Drury Cargill, and her committee was composed of Mrs. Joseph Furlong, Mrs. Velma Pugsley, Mrs. Robert Pantridge, Mrs. Arthur McComb and several Provisional members of the Junior League.

During the years we have been fortunate in having Mrs. Stanley Norris of Billings meet with a group of the Provisional members of the League

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and members of the Glebe House committee, and to learn from Mrs. Norris a great many facts about the care and preservations of old furniture. Mrs. Warren Partridge of the National Park Service at the Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park, has joined the Glebe House committee and we are very fortunate to have someone of her knowledge and experience work with the committee.

Several important donations of furnishings for Glebe House have been received. A very important acquisition has come from a member of the Historical Society, Mr. William A. Benson of Pleasant Valley. He presented Glebe House with a loom which dates back to 1812, perhaps even before that date. It came from the Benson homestead in Wassiac, a house that was built in 1812 by Stephen Hitchcock. Homer, son.of Stephen Hitchcock, married Rebecca Lowery in 1839, and their daughter Rebecca married Erza Reed Benton in 1865. From that date the farm was occupied by the Benton family. William Benton, son of Erza R. Benton and great, great grandson of the builder of the old house, Stephen Hitchcock, was the last resident of the farm. The large loom has been set-up at Glebe House and has attracted a great deal of attention. It is a very valuable addition, and but one of several items presented to the house by Mr. Benton.

The Junior League and the Historical Society have purchased a tape recorder and a slide projector, and the slide presentation prepared in 1967 by the League Provisional members is being shown in the Grade Schools throughout the area.

The Junior League and the Historical Society are very much indebted to the many individuals who have given so much of their time and their talents to Glebe House, the 1767 structure that carries down to today not only the structure itself but also furniture and furnishings of two hundred years ago.

Advertisement 1865

Fancy Goods & Yankee Notions Mrs. M. Peterkin, 330 Main St., Poughkeepsie.

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