RHS: Winter 2015 Friday, November 13 at 7:30 PM, at the Morton Library in Rhinecliff

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1 SAVE THESE DATES RHS: Winter 2015 Friday, November 13 at 7:30 PM, at the Morton Library in Rhinecliff David Byars, the Editorial Production Director of Vogue, and board member of Hudson River Heritage, will be speaking about his upcoming pictorial book currently titled, Our Time at Foxhollow Farm. The book chronicles the life of Tracy Dows and his family while they lived at their Rhinebeck estate, Foxhollow Farm, from 1907 to Mr. Byars will narrate the illustrious story of the family through selected photographs from the Dows Collection, which are featured in his book. Refreshments will be served. (This is a joint program between the Historical Society and the Morton Library) President's Message Winter 2015 At our September program, Historian Steven Mann lectured on the history of the Frost family one of Rhinebeck s oldest and most important families. Steven was terrific as usual, providing his audience with a great deal of information about the Frost family. And, the family s legacy continues with the Frost Foundation giving many thousands of dollars to nonprofits in Rhinebeck, including the RHS and the Starr Library. On Saturday, October 17, 50 guests cruised down the Hudson River from Rhinecliff to Hyde Park. Along the way, Michael Frazier lectured about the history of the river, its people and the great estates. I especially want to thank Adams Fairacre Farms of Kingston for their generous donation of cheese and fruit platters for our guests. To kick off the holiday season we have our December 12 th Holiday Party at the Rhinecliff. Please reserve your spot by sending in the attached flyer. Also, we have a very special joint program with Historic Red Hook (HRH) and Northern Dutchess Hospital (NDH) planned for the end January that will coincide with the grand opening of the 85,000 square foot addition to the NDH. Claudine Klose of HRH found one of the few nursing historians in the country to be the guest speaker at this event. We hope to hold the talk in the lobby of the new wing, making our guests the first to use it. I hope to see you at these special events. Writer and historian Cynthia Owen Philip will be greatly missed. Her work on Robert Fulton, the Suckleys, and Kipsbergen are a legacy we will always treasure. How lucky we were to have her wonderful presentation about the seafaring Delanos and the China trade. On behalf of the RHS Board, I wish you and your family a healthy and happy holiday season. A Brief History of the Land and the Astor Home By Sharon Sherrod Astor Services for Children & Families is a community-based, nonprofit organization that provides children's mental health services, child welfare services, and early childhood development programs. Astor currently serves thousands of children each year in four counties through its prevention, early childhood, special education, community behavioral health and residential treatment programs. Astor provides support for preschoolers, children with behavioral and emotional health problems, children at risk of placement in foster care, and families that need assistance in developing the skills necessary to raise their children in an environment filled with increasing challenges The Astor Home, in Rhinebeck, is located on a piece of land that has much historical value. Judge Hendrickus Beekman obtained a royal patent from King James in 1703 to expand his vast land holdings that he acquired in Prior to his patent, the land was inhabited by the Sepasco Indians of the Mohegan Nation. The stream on the southern part of the property is called the Landsman Kill. It was named for Casparus Lampman, later known as Landsman, who was employed as a miller for one of the Beekman Mills, and Kill is a Dutch word for stream. This stream is part of the Hudson River Watershed and flows westward about 3 miles where it empties into Vanderburgh Cove at the Hudson River. David Miller, President 1

2 Early maps show a house and a mill along the north side of the stream. The photos here show the miller s house which DAR papers indicate was on Astor Home property. Looking at the topography it seems to be just west and below the cottage, which is on the north side of the Landsman Kill. A large grist stone was found in the stream and was donated to the Quitman Resource Center, which maintains the garden where it is located. The Quitman Resource Center is located on Route 9 north of Rhinebeck and maintains the Museum of Rhinebeck History. See photos Photo courtesy of the Rhinebeck Historical Society c Photo courtesy of the Rhinebeck Historical Society c The summer photo shows two nicely dressed women tending a well laid out garden, the winter photo is taken after the house fell into disrepair. The roof and side walls are starting to crumble. A gristmill, to grind corn, was most likely built by William Traphagen for Judge Beekman about It was built on the west side of the highway in the hollow on the north side of the stream near where the cottage is, and there are still some stone remnants remaining. Photos courtesy of Sharon Sherrod The miller would need to keep his nose close to the grist stone used for grinding the grains to make sure the grain would not burn in the grinding process. Hence the term 'keep your nose to the grindstone'. There was also a mill across the Post Road (now known as Route 9). This mill was built about 1715 and was known as the Beekman Livingston mill and was referred to as the upper mill. It was used for a grist mill, then a woolen mill and finally a paper mill. 2

3 The property passed from the Beekmans to the Livingstons in William Teller acquired it in Caroline Davidson bought it in 1848 and is shown on the 1867 Beers atlas as the owner of the property. Caroline was a niece of Peter Livingston. After Caroline's death, she left the property to William and Susan Livingston who then sold it to Marie Ford in 1869, who then purchased two more adjoining parcels to expand her acreage. In 1875 Robert P. and Alice Huntington purchased the property and built a residence called Boris Dore'. In 1888, Levi Morton, a former Governor of New York and future owner of Ellerslie (a large estate on the river), was residing at Bois Doré when he received word that he was nominated to be Vice President of the United States and elected. He was the 22 nd Vice President under Benjamin Harrison. In 1905, fire destroyed Bois Dore'. In 1913 William Vincent Astor purchased two parcels from Robert and Alice Huntington on the Old Post Road in Rhinebeck, including the land owned by Caroline Davidson. In 1914 Vincent Astor married Helen Huntington, daughter of Robert and Alice, and they then sold the property to Holiday Farm for $1.00. Holiday Farm was a home for convalescing children, established in 1901 by Mary Morton, daughter of Levi Morton. It was situated in nearby Rhinecliff, on the bank above the Hudson River just North of the future site of the train station. When the train station was built in 1914 a new road was constructed and went through the middle of the Holiday Farm property. In the th Annual Report For Holiday Farm it was noted that the building in Rhinecliff was vacated, and they hoped to move into the new home in Rhinebeck in the spring. Mr. Astor was erecting the building in memory of his father, John Jacob Astor IV who died in the sinking of the Titanic in The number of children served in the new building doubled and an appeal was sent out for help with the increase in expenses. Vincent Astor was the president of the Board, and Mrs. Robert P. Huntington was the Secretary. Miss Helen Huntington, Mrs. Tracy Dows and Miss Margaret Suckley, women of local importance, were on the Executive committee. Post card shown here was found on EBay Built in 1913, the building is a large brick Jacobean Revival style with gable pavilions, casement windows with leaded glass, relief carving in the panels between the first and second story windows, slate roof, and multiple chimneys. The building architect is thought to be Harrie T. Lindeberg. Mr. Lindeberg had apprenticed to McKim, Mead and White who were the architects to the Astor estate. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Mr. Astor changed the name from Holiday Farm to the Col. John Jacob Astor Home for Convalescent Children. During WWII no children were on site. In 1945 the Archdiocese of New York assumed responsibility for the Home and in 1952 the name was changed to the Astor Home for Children and the focus was on children with emotional problems. On April, 29, 2009 the name was changed to Astor Services for Children & Families. Thanks to the Rhinebeck Historical Society for providing archival material, Nancy Kelly, town Historian and her book "A Brief History of Rhinebeck", Sari Tietjen's book "Rhinebeck Portrait of a Town". Also the 1908 book by Howard Morse "Historic Old Rhinebeck Echos of Two Centuries" and Eileen Hayden who researched this same theme for a presentation at Astor's 25th Anniversary in Prepared By Sharon Sherrod, Retired Director of Billing at Astor Services. William Traphagen is a halfbrother to Helena Traphagen. Helena married Jan Burhans and their daughter Margaret, my 4 th great grandmother, married Peter Post who is my 4 th great grandfather. 3

4 THE RHINEBECK HISTORICAL SOCIETY P.O. BOX 291 RHINEBECK NY The Rhinebeck Historical Society Invites you to our Holiday Party Saint Nicholas: The Saint who became Santa Saturday, December 12th, pm 8.00pm at the Rhinecliff Hotel Saint Nicholas: the Saint who became Santa: food historian Peter G. Rose delves into the early history of the life of the Saint; explains the various changes in his veneration; relates how he was brought to America by the Dutch in the seventeenth century and, again, transformed to Santa in the nineteenth century. The talk encompasses such subjects as literature, religion, the fine arts, and Dutch food ways to describe the extraordinary story of his generosity that had a lasting impact on us all. A short demonstration of wooden cake boards is part of the lecture and the audience will get a chance to taste the cookies made in these boards. This is a fun and educational holiday program. Enjoy festive drinks, appetizers, and dessert while learning about Saint Nicholas and the Dutch Christmas. For more information, call or michaelfrazier@earthlink.net Please enclose the completed form with a check payable to Rhinebeck Historical Society. Mail to: Rhinebeck Historical Society Box 291 Rhinebeck, NY Name Address Phone # of tickets at $30 per person Amount enclosed $ Seating is limited. Reservations required. Checks must be received no later than 8 December, 2015

5 The Rhinebeck Historical Society thanks our supporting Business Members

6 Attention Panda TV 23Viewers: The RHS is looking for volunteers to help in the local history room at the Starr Library. The room is open to the public on Thursdays from 10 am to 4 pm. Scholars and researchers come in looking for help with their work, and others send in research requests via . Volunteers could either assist them directly or do so indirectly by working with the collections in our archives. No prior research skills are necessary. However, attention to detail, interest in history, delight in working with other people, and joy at solving puzzles are all most desirable. It is a great opportunity to learn about our town while helping others. For information call Mike Frazier at or michaelfrazier@earthlink.net. As of July 23, 2013, you will no longer be able to view channel 23 without digital equipment such as a Time Warner Cable provided set top box, digital adapter or Cable Card. These cable cards are available from Time Warner. Please visit or call for more information. If your television already has a digital set top box/adapter, QAM tuner or CableCard, your access to this channel will continue without the need for additional equipment. You can also view our Historical Society videos on our website. All members are encouraged to submit articles for publication in our newsletter. If you have done some research on a historical subject, visited a historic site or simply have some history about our town that you would like to share, please contact us for information about how to submit an article for inclusion in the newsletter. For information call David Miller or dhmny@aol.com.

7 SAVE THESE DATES THE RHINEBECK HISTORICAL SOCIETY P.O. BOX 291 RHINEBECK, NEW YORK Officers and Trustees David Miller President Michael Frazier- Treasurer James Chapman- Trustee Joy Gross Trustee Peggy LaBelle - Trustee John Lavin Trustee Don McTernan - Trustee Beverly Sloane - Trustee John Vincent Trustee Elma Williamson Trustee Emeritus Doing Local History Research? Stamp Come visit the Rhinebeck Historical Society Archives! We are open Thursdays 10-4 in the Local History Room the lower level of the Starr Library in Rhinebeck Please call or to let us know you are coming: michaelfrazier@earthlink.net Visit us on the Rhinebeckhistoricalsociety.org THE RHINEBECK HISTORICAL SOCIETY - UPCOMING PROGRAMS Friday, November 13 at 7:30 PM, at the Morton Library in Rhinecliff David Byars, the Editorial Production Director of Vogue, and board member of Hudson River Heritage, will be speaking about his upcoming pictorial book currently titled, Our Time at Foxhollow Farm. The book chronicles the life of Tracy Dows and his family while they lived at their Rhinebeck estate, Foxhollow Farm, from 1907 to Mr. Byars will narrate the illustrious story of the family through selected photographs from the Dows Collection, which are featured in his book. Refreshments will be served. (This is a joint program between the Historical Society and the Morton Library) Saturday, December 12 at 6:00 PM, Holiday Party at the Rhinecliff Hotel Saint Nicholas: the Saint who became Santa. Food historian Peter G. Rose delves into the early history of the life of the Saint; explains the various changes in his veneration; relates how he was brought to America by the Dutch in the seventeenth century and, again, transformed to Santa in the nineteenth century. The talk encompasses such subjects as literature, religion, the fine arts, and Dutch food ways to describe the extraordinary story of his generosity that had a lasting impact on us all. A short demonstration of wooden cake boards is part of the lecture and the audience will get a chance to taste the cookies made in these boards. This is a fun and educational holiday program. (See flyer inside of this newsletter) Sunday, January 3pm at Northern Dutchess Hospital, Rhinebeck, NY Public Health Care Comes to Red Hook and Rhinebeck. Join Dr. Sandra Lewenson, Professor of Nursing at Pace University, as she recounts the earliest days of rural health care in Dutchess County. One of the country s few nursing historians, Dr. Lewenson also will describe the establishment of the Thompson House and an innovative American Red Cross rural public health nursing program designed to bring health care to rural towns such as Red Hook. She raises questions about health care today in the community and how the past can inform our decisions. The program is jointly sponsored by the Rhinebeck Historical Society, Historic Red Hook and Northern Dutchess Hospital. Refreshments to be served.