George and Rebecca Barnes Foundation - Spring 2013 Newsletter

The Mansion MattersThe Barnes-Hiscock Mansion - Irreplaceable History since 1853

News Letter Spring edition 2013

The George and Rebecca Barnes Foundation, Inc. 930 James Street | Syracuse, NY 13203 | www.GRBarnes.org

enough about the tremendous generosity of our suppliers, vendors, volunteers and patrons. We are truly blessed. There is more infor-mation about these events and more in the newsletter.

The Foundation also presented three planned member programs coordinated by Marjorie Mellor, Education Chair and Marge Teillon, Membership Chair. In October, Mike Wheeler spoke about the impact geography had on transportation and commerce. His computer generated maps took us back in time to see Upstate New York and New England in a whole new light. In February, in celebration of Black History month, a panel of distinguished African American leaders from the Syracuse Community dis-cussed the transition of Syracuse as a progressive city supporting the abolition of slavery, to life in the 15th Ward, urban renewal and the Civil Rights movement. And, in April, Dennis Connors, Curator, OHA spoke to us about James Street and the beautiful mansions that used to grace the street.

The G & R Barnes website was redesigned by Peter Naughton. He did an outstanding job. Peter took our concept and made it a reality. We have a great website. Check it out at www.grbarnes.org Peter has graciously continued to keep it up to date for us. Thank you, Peter. If you need a DJ for a reception or party, call Peter. See his ad on the back.

Again, I extend the sincere appreciation of the Foundation to the Syracuse Corinthian Club members for their help in decorating the mansion for every holiday and occasion. The house would look so cold and empty without these lovely touches. And, Holidays at the Mansion took hundreds of volunteers to make that a success and we couldn’t do it without the support of the Corinthian Club members and Junior League along with our own dedicated volun-teers. Thank you to all.

We could use more help. If you, or someone you know, is/are interested in helping out on some of our committees, don’t be shy. We are also looking for a few qualified people to fill in board positions. See the article inside. You can contact me at: [email protected] for more information. See you at the mansion,Karen Howe

Letter from the President

Hello and welcome to the Spring 2013 edition of the Mansion Matters.

Many thanks to our editor/ designer who has once again provided the profes-sional look to our news-letter. Sandra Jackson of

Sublunar Studios/Visual Design, has graciously agreed to do this work for free. I hope you will tell others about Sandra’s talents. You can find her information in the newsletter block and in our sponsor section. It’s important to patronize our generous sponsors.

We welcomed Bob Brown to the board as Treasurer last year. A huge thank you is in order to Kay Billingham for so many dedicated years as Treasurer. Bob has taken to his new role and the new office. We are grateful to have his services.

In our last newsletter I reported that the grant committee had been hard at work applying for monies to work on the house. I am so pleased to tell you that we received a $5000 grant from the John Ben Snow Foundation to work on repairing or replacing the exterior doors of the mansion and adding historically correct weather stripping and protection. These changes have reduced our energy bills and improved security. And, we received a grant of $22,500 from the CNY Community Foundation to cover the cost of the architectural drawings needed to begin restoration of the roof. These draw-ings have been completed and we can begin to solicit bids. On a disappointing note, our application to the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation for a $300,000 state EPF grant was not approved. We are looking into other resources. We do have a plan. It is taking time to execute it. But stay with us as we continue to inch forward.

We have held two major fund raisers this past fall: Tour de Champagne II and Holidays at the Mansion. I can’t say

8th Annual Membership Meeting Thursday May 16, 2013 - 5:30 PM

“Path Through History” WeekendSaturday June 1 & Sunday June 2, 2013

“Save the Mansion” Reception & TourFriday June 7 & Saturday June 8, 2013

“Path Through History” WeekendSunday June 9, 2013

Tour de Champagne IIISaturday September 21, 2013

Please check out www.GRBarnes.orgfor details on all our events.

Upcoming Events The George & Rebecca BarnesFoundation Inc.

Pillar Society Members

Karen Howe - PresidentShannon Galster - Vice PresidentCheryl Ward - SecretaryRobert Brown - Treasurer

Board of DirectorsEdwin Clarke, Rocci DeCaroMichael Discenza, Dr. David Heisig,Charles Roeschlaub, Marge Teillon,Michele Jones Galvin, Alison Grimes,

Richard & Marilyn AlberdingCindy Arigo Aminy AudiDr. William & Katherine Billingham Dorothea & Richard Clarke Donna FlookLexie GambacortoMurray & Ellen GouldMarcy & Chuck GrundnerMaureen HeirFrederick & Karen HoweSteve & Stephanie Keiber Dee and Bob MaguireDavid Heisig & Donna MaharMarge & Cliff MellorRobert & Christine PierceNancy & Guenther SchmidCharles & Mary Seidel Alison Shedlock Margaret & Lawrence SnowmanArlene & Bill Stewart

The Mansion Matters is published byThe George & Rebecca Barnes Foundation, Inc.930 James Street - Syracuse, NY 13203- Tel. 422-2445

www.GRBarnes.org

Board of Directors OpeningsThe George & Rebecca Barnes Foundation has openings for additional board members. If you, or someone you know, might be interested in joining a working board, please send an inquiry to [email protected].

All prospective applicants must have basic computer skills (email, Word, Excel, etc) and a willingness to share their time and tal-ent. This is an excellent opportunity for young professionals who would like to add or enhance their professional or leadership skills for their resume or for mature adults who have time and energy to devote towards a volunteer led organization. Specific skills needed include accounting, bookkeeping, computer, education, marketing and/or advertising, event planning, and office and/or organiza-tional experience; however, a willingness to learn and energy to perform will be given serious consideration.

New and Improved DoorsThe George & Rebecca Barnes Foundation again extends its grat-itude to the John Ben Snow Foundation which awarded a grant of $5000 last year to assist in Phase I of the project to achieve ADA accessibility at the mansion. We worked with Armand Aquilino, Bear Construction to put historically appropriate weather strip-ping around the front doors, the side porch door and the new door in the Blue room. The improvement in utility bills is amazing. B R Johnson provided a new steel door for our third floor emergency exit and a new rear door in the kitchen. We thank them for their generous donation. Phase II will focus on the main (side) entrance. We are soliciting quotes to add lighting, repair the railing and can-opy, as well as, replace the existing door with an ADA approved exit including emergency release hardware. This work will put us in good shape to complete the final phase of the project, which is to install an approved ramp with proper railings.

Remember, you can help the GR Barnes Foundationwhen buying items you need online at:

Like us on facebook!Look for: “George & Rebecca Barnes Foundation”

Daniel Ward

Karen Howe, David Heisig and Randy Crawford

of Crawford & Stearns Architects and Preservation

Planners receiving completed drawing

package for exterior restoration

The House CommitteeWe have been busy! From Holidays at the Mansion to Black History Month and the annual International Center of Syracuse meeting we have been setting up and putting away. We have had a great time introducing multiple newcomers to our wonderful historic mansion. Multiple peo-ple have expressed amazement that they had lived in Syracuse for years, yet never

knew such a wonderful place existed at 930 James Street.

Keeping the old place going has been lots of work. From the major door refurbishing projects to new curtains in the Blue room, and from fixing leaks to repairing toilets, there is ALWAYS something to do.

This year’s spring cleaning occurred on April 6th. We spent con-siderable time in the attic and in the formal show rooms on the second floor. Next week we started cleaning up the yard. There is always something to do and we truly appreciate the time spent by our volunteers.

Call or email [email protected] if you have some time to volunteer!

The Mansion Matters Spring edition 2013

www.GRBarnes.org

Two Steps Forward…One Step BackThat’s sometimes how it feels to be the House Manager!! This grand and gracious home… filled with so much history…takes a lot of care. I cannot tell you how often a project leads to another…or a quick fix… leads to several more!

We HAVE accomplished lots lately! The fire escape system is ful-ly operational. The door upgrade project is complete. Long-term cleaning is ongoing. Use of the old “Barnes” office on the third floor for better and safer storage than the drafty attic is underway. Inventory continues. Multiple projects keep us busy. The fact that this switch fails, or that wall hanger needs replacement, just adds spice to the whole operation.

And then sometimes, we just get to have fun. Recently portions of another senior thesis film were shot on location by students of Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. Their enthusiasm and interest in our wonderful old mansion make all the hard work worth it.

The House Committee always needs help. If you like to clean, can do small repairs, like to do inventory, or simply can help lift from time to time… give us a call or send an email. It is fun to get “behind the scenes” and find out what really goes on at 930 James Street.

Tour de Champagne IIThe second annual champagne tasting at the Barnes Hiscock Mansion was an outstanding success. A large crowd gathered to taste excellent French champagne and domestic and imported sparkling wines paired with food samplings from some of Central New York’s finest restaurants.

The Syracuse Opera’s Resident Artist Cris Frisco enter-tained the guests with several selections at intermission. And, near the end of the evening, a special pour of 2003 Dom Perignon topped off the festive program.

The Barnes Foundation extends deep appre-ciation to the many restaurants and distri-butors who participated in making this a first class event. And, see our Sponsor page to patronize our generous donors.

Save the date for Tour de Champagne III: September 21, 2013.

The Roof…..We are about to close out our 2012 grant award from the Central New York Community Foundation for $22,500 to secure the ar-chitectural drawings, project manual, scopes and bid documents for the exterior of the mansion. This puts us in a “shovel ready” position to apply for grants to pay for the restoration of the roof. We are extremely grateful to the CNY Community Foundation for their support of our efforts to preserve the Barnes Hiscock Mansion. Crawford & Stearns, Architects and Preservation Plan-ners completed the work including a $2,500 credit. Thank you.

The House Committee Report

We are accepting donations and pledges toward the restoration of the roof. Please mark your check or credit card donation for the Roof.

This article is devoted to the ancestry of Rebecca Heermans Barnes and how she came to be living with her uncle, John Wilkinson in Syracuse. Three Dutch family names are explored, those of BEEKMAN, SWART, and HEERMANS.

I came across a quote in The Goede Vrouw of Mana-Ha-Ta: At Home and in the Society, 1609-1760 (American Women: Images and Realities) by Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer. Loosely trans-lated it means “The Grande Dames of Manhattan”. It got my attention because it referred to Wilhelmus BEEKMAN’s wife: “Among the first settlers of the island of Mana-ha-ta were several remarkable women, who are the ancestresses of the principal fam-ilies of the colony, and who, by their influence and connections, largely controlled all the affairs political, social, and domestic of the province, Catarina de Boorgh was among the principal women of this group of pioneers, and although their names may be un-familiar to the ears of their descendants, it must be remembered that they were merged in those of their husbands and that only the latter were transmitted to posterity.”

In spite of the above quote, for simplicity sake, I will only discuss Rebecca’s lineal ancestors , which means I too ignore spouses.

Lt. Wilhelmus BEEKMANb. 1623 in Holland OR Germany, immigrated 1647

Johannes BEEKMAN b. 1656 New Amsterdam (New York City)

Thomas BEEKMAN b. 1689 New Amsterdam

Mallie (Marretje) BEEKMAN b. 1726 Kingston, Ulster County

Wilhelmus BEEKMAN sailed on the same ship as Peter Stuyvesant, who was coming to New Amsterdam as Director-General, soon to be Governor. Mrs. Van Rensselaer said “the tedious voyage cemented a life-long intimacy between the two families. Wilhelmus

Wilhelmus’ great-granddaughter, Mallie BEEKMAN, lies buried in the cemetery surrounding St. John’s Reformed Church in Upper Red Hook, Dutchess County, on the east side of the Hudson. Today, it is a quiet country setting, much like it must have been almost three centuries ago when she and her husband, Cornelius SWART (Sr.), raised their family. Her tombstone reads: “Here lies the body of Mallie Swart, wife of Cornelius Swart, daughter of Thomas Beekman, died April 25th in the Year of our Lord 1799, aged 68 years”. Apparently many or most of the Dutch have left the area and the Reform congregations are made up of large numbers of Italians and Irish.

Teunis Cornelisse SWARTb. 1625 Amsterdam, Holland

Cornelius Teunise SWART b. 1652 Albany

Johannes SWART b. 1698 Kingston

Cornelius SWART (Sr.) b. 1728 Kingston

The SWART family settled in Schenectady, where Teunis was one of the original 13 proprietors of the town, purchased from the Dutch West India Company. One of his three sons, Cornelius Teunise, made his way to Kingston and then Upper Red Hook. It is his grandson’s, Cornelius SWART (Sr.), wife, Mallie, whose gravestone we found. I expect that Cornelius’ stone stands next to hers but it was of a different red stone, and did not weather well.

Researching the HEERMANS line was more challenging because Focke, Focken, Heremanse, Hermance, Hermans, and Hermanse are all variations of the same name. Jansz Fockeb. about 1620 Drenthe, Holland, immigrated 1660

Jan HEERMANS b. 1657 Drenthe, Holland, immigrated 1660 as a child

Hendrick HEERMANS b. 1681, baptized Dutch Reform Church NYC

Phillipus HEERMANS b. 1718, baptized DRC, Kingston

Wilhelmus HEERMANS b. 1720, baptized DRC, Kingston 2

Although Rebecca’s family bible shows that Wilhelmus is her direct ancestor, all other sources state that it is Phillipus. In a narrative, she also writes that her family introduced the Dutch Reformed faith to this country. She further writes about Petrus DeWitt, the pastor of the Red Hook Church from 1785 to 1791. Of the 83 children that he baptized, twenty were of Heermans parentage. Of the 13 new members of the Church during his tenure, all but one were Heermans and their spouses. It sounds to me like Rebecca made a research trip to the Hudson River! Per-haps this is where I got my genealogy gene.

Philip HEERMANS m. Thomas Beekman HEERMANS 3

Anche SWART m. RebeccaCornelius SWART, Jr. m. Maria SWARTRebecca LATHAM

The Mansion Matters Spring edition 2013

www.GRBarnes.org

Relatively SpeakingRebecca’s Family Tree by Dee Maguire

was a quiet, wise, prudent man, whose opinions soon obtained great weight in the colony.” 1 By 1649, he had married Catarina de Boorgh, mentioned above. Interestingly, one of their daughters married Stuyvesant’s son.

Phillipus’ son, Philip HEERMANS, married Anche SWART, the daughter of Cornelius SWART (Sr.) and Mallie BEEKMAN in 1772. Anche’s brother, Cornelius SWART, Jr., married Rebecca Latham in 1798. The HEERMANS son, Thomas Beekman HEER-MANS (Sr.), married the SWART’s daughter, his cousin, Maria SWART in 1821. Marriage of first cousins was not uncommon in Rebecca’s lineage. Thomas Beekman HEERMANS (Sr.) and Maria SWART were Rebecca’s parents.

Although not of Dutch heritage, a note about the Irish/English Latham line is of interest. Rebecca Latham’s father, Dr. James Latham, born 1734, was responsible for introducing inoculations to the colonies. 4

So, why was Rebecca living with her uncle, John Wilkinson, and waiting for her knight in shining armor? Her father, Thomas Beekman HEERMANS (Sr.), joined with Archy Kasson in 1823 to open a hardware store on the corner of Salina and Water Streets in Syracuse. In 1827, he joined with Joel Rathbone to open a hard-ware/stove business in Albany, NY called Heermans, Rathbone & Co. At that point, the family moved to Albany but was unable to sell their house in Syracuse. When Thomas Heermans died in 1830, the family returned to their house in Syracuse, which was located adjacent to the home of John Wilkinson who had married Henrietta Wilhelmina Swart, Maria’s younger sister and, therefore, Rebecca’s aunt. When Maria died in 1833, Rebecca, a

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Relatively Speaking (continued) The Mansion Matters Spring edition 2013

Famous Abolitionist visits The MansionOn Saturday, February 23, Rev. Jermain Wesley Loguen, the noted Abolitionist and bishop in the AME Zion Church, returned to Syracuse to visit the Barnes Hiscock Mansion. Robert Djed Snead portrayed Rev. Loguen in a reenactment of the “Donation Party” at Syracuse’s Market Hall in June 1852.

The presentation, along with a panel discussion on the sta-tus of the saving of AME Zion church on Fayette St. and a

girl of six, and her younger brother, Thomas Beekman Heermans, Jr., were taken in by their aunt and uncle. Shortly after arriving in America in 1844, George Barnes took a job in the law office of John Wilkinson, shined up his armor, and started the history that we all know. (Many thanks are expressed to my nephew, Lael Pierce, for his assistance with the content of this last paragraph.)

Some interesting asides came to light while researching this in-formation:

– Thomas Beekman Heermans, Sr. headed the first volunteer fire department in Syracuse in 1827.

– Kasson and Heermans placed the only merchant advertisement in the first issue of the Onondaga Gazette, on April, 2, 1823.

– Joel Rathbone’s nephew, Henry Rathbone, along with his fiancé Clara Harris, were in Lincoln’s booth the night he was assassinated. Clara Harris was related to the Hiscock family (Rebecca’s future son-in-law). Henry’s father and Clara’s moth-er married each other after being widowed. Therefore, Henry and Clara were step-siblings as well as husband and wife. 5

– While in Rhinebeck, I had lunch at the Beekman Arms, the old-est continuously running inn in the country. It sits on land owned by members of the Beekman family and was the location of the argument that led to the famous Hamilton-Burr duel.

Research for this article came from my trip this summer to Ulster and Dutchess Counties along the Hudson River Valley in search of Rebecca’s ancestors. I could not have covered all the ground I did without the help of my husband Bob, brother Bob Pierce, and sister-in-law Christine Pierce. It was a first time experience for the last two, rummaging through graveyards, churches and archives. Many thanks for their help.

1 Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer , C.Scribners & Sons, 1898, p 18, 372 Baptismal and Marriage Registers of the Old Dutch Church of Kingston, Ulster County, NY 1660-1809 Transcribed by Roswell Hoes, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc 19803 Application for Membership National Number 14480 State Number 1605 Member of Sixth Regiment, Dutchess County Militia4 Barbara Tunis, “Dr. James Latham, Pioneer Inoculator in Canada”, Canadian Bulletin of Medical History. 1984 Online5 Henry and Clara, Thomas Mallon, 1994, publ. by Ticknor & Fields

Dutch Reform Church Cemetary, Kingston

buffet dinner was sponsored by our tenant, Preservation Association of Cen-tral New York.

It was a sold out event and brought many new faces to the mansion.

Holidays at the MansionHolidays at the Mansion, or HAM as we fondly call it, was the biggest success to date. The reason for that is because we had a great committed committee and wonderful volun-teers; without whom nothing would happen! They are to be congratulated and have our hearty thanks.

The reaction from the public was extremely positive. Al-though folks always say it looked the best ever, it did look wonderful and our designers are to be congratulated on their creativity, generosity and execution. It is always great to have folks visiting who have never been to the Mansion, several of whom joined the Foundation. Our Docents made our guests feel welcome and were right there to assist with tours and answer questions. Everyone enjoyed the refresh-ments in the Dining Room... thanks to our special elves who kept that beautifully stocked!

We added a few new twists for 2012: An expanded Bou-tique which turned into a wonderful shopping experience for everyone and a good bit of change for our bottom line. We also introduced several programs which brought many guests into the Mansion to experience HAM.

Thanks to everyone who made these things happen and for the generous donations received. We have the best folks! All in all HAM was a rousing success... Cheryl and Chick!

Look for news about “Holidays 2013”... it may be a surprise!

Black History Month Panel Discussion

On February 10, 2013, over 100 people from the Syracuse com-munity gathered at the Barnes Hiscock mansion to hear a panel of distinguished African American men discuss the culture of Syracuse from the days of the Underground Railroad and the Abolitionist movement, through Urban Renewal and Civil Rights to today. Robert Betsey, educator in the Syracuse City School District; John Betsey, former personnel assistant with Carrier Corporation and retired Syracuse City School educator; Marshall Nelson, recipient of The King’s College Alumni Award for out-standing academic achievement and retired Niagara Mohawk executive; Manny Breland, former S.U. basketball star, retired Syracuse City School administrator and consultant to the mayor’s office and the Syracuse police department; Theardis Martino, President/CEO of Matawon Development Group Inc. committed to working with women and minority owned business enterprises; par-ticipated in the discussion about the business, social, and economic evolution of Syracuse, starting from the time that George Barnes and his associates were active in the Abolitionist Movement. The gentlemen researched the great migration of Blacks from the south after WWI through 1970, documented in the book by Isabel Wilkerson, and spoke of the effect it had in Syracuse. It was enlightening to hear first-hand how the building of I81 and Urban Renewal affected the neighborhoods known as the 15th Ward.

The feedback on this event was overwhelmingly positive. The George & Rebecca Barnes Foundation is looking into a regular schedule of similar programs relevant to Syracuse and Central New York.

www.GRBarnes.org

The Mansion Matters Spring edition 2013

An Unseen VisitorThe Barnes Hiscock Mansion has been serviced by a cleaning company for the past year. A team of ladies comes in on Saturday mornings to dust, vacuum, etc. On a Saturday morning, in January, one of the ladies came by herself to do the work.

Our tireless House Chair, who works at the mansion every Saturday, had gone out to run errands and when he returned the cleaning

lady had vanished. The lights were on all over the house, the security system had not been armed and on the desk near the door was a hastily scratched note that said: “Something touched me…he called my name... I’m outta here!”

We can only assume that one of the spirits identified in a paranor-mal investigation back in 2011 had decided to “reach” out to our cleaning lady. Needless to say, no one comes to the house to clean alone anymore.

Chick Roeschlaub, Karen Howe, Thom Filicia and Cheryl Ward (seated) at Holidays at the Mansion 2012

930 James StreetSyracuse, NY 13203

Tel. 422-2445E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.GRBarnes.org

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A PropertyEnhancement

landscaping · seal coating driveway · walkways

Sandra of Sublunar Studios/Visual Design provided the lay-out and photos of

“Tour de Champagne II” & “Holidays at the Mansion” for this edition of The Mansion Matters.

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