76 House Visit

My friend Rick and I usually go to the 76 House over in Tappan, New York, once a year at Christmastime for dinner. Okay, we’ve done this twice now, having skipped last year (COVID).  The 76 House is billed as “America’s Oldest Restaurant” on the web site, having been built in 1668. The restaurant is always decorated nicely for the holidays.

Tappan (pronounced “Ta-pan” and not “Tap-pin,” which was a brand of microwaves and ovens)–and the 76 House–are forever linked with Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow through British Major John Andre. Andre was captured in Tarrytown during the Revolutionary War by three militiamen and then eventually sent across the Hudson to Tappan, where he was imprisoned in the 76 House. It was also in Tappan that Andre was hung as a spy. (If you ask, which didn’t cross my mind, the people in the 76 House will actually show you the room where Andre was held.)

There’s a nice feel to the 76 House. It’s very warm and cozy. We started in one room that was dominated by a fireplace with a large portrait of a colonial riding a horse. I had the Yankee pot roast, which is what I had the first time I was there. (I’m a creature of habit, I guess.) We started off with hush puppies, one for each of us. They were quite tasty. Rick also got the pot roast. (Last time he got the steak.) For dessert, we asked if we could be moved into the main room where the tree was at, which our waiter obliged with no trouble. (He got a nice tip.) I got the Linzer torte and Rick got Hannah’s apple crunch, which isn’t what he ordered, but it was good.

Before we left, I took a photo of the main entrance (no longer used) along Washington Street. I also took a pic of Washington Street looking down past the restaurant. For a two-lane, brick road, the street is pretty heavily traveled. Nonetheless, the road looked very quaint and seasonal.

Christmas at the Historical Society

I can’t take any real credit for decorating the Historical Society. I did do some additional touches, but the majority of the work had been done in the weeks before by other volunteers. They did a great job in getting the place ready for the holidays.

The recent gift of a rope bed became the centerpiece of a festive display. Rope beds were what they are called. Instead of boxe springs or a mattress, which is what are modern beds are made of, a rope bed was a bed frame with rope being used to create a web in the frame for someone to lay upon. It is possible that some type of mattress would be put on top of the ropes, but in this case the mannequins were placed on the ropes.

The rope bed was a central piece in ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas display. Two adult mannequins were dressed for “a long winter’s nap,” except the children were up and standing next to their parents’ bed. The baby was asleep in the cradle. A corner of the bed covers were pulled back so visitors could see how the ropes were strung to create a surface. I do wonder how comfortable the bed would be. While in Scotland, I slept in a twin rope bed that did have a mattress on it. As I remember, it wasn’t that comfortable. I didn’t sleep well in the bed.

In one of the front rooms is a display to Virginia O’Hanlon, the little girl who wrote to Francis P. Church, the editor of the New York Sun, one of the prominent newspapers of the city at the end of the nineteenth century. The eight-year-old wanted to know if there was a Santa Claus. Church’s famous editorial defending the existence of Santa Claus is known throughout the world. The display also included a copy of Church’s reply.

Following are some images from the society. I wanted to get these posted before the year ended and the holiday season fades from memory.

Oh, the photo here is of what has become known as the “Evil Clown.” There’s a debate among the volunteers of whether or not this toy is scary-looking. I think that everyone would agree that no one would give such a painted toy to a child of today. At some point in the distant past, this toy must have been beloved by some child. Nonetheless, by today’s standards this clown has scary-looking features. What do you think?

 

Spooky Stories

Before we leave behind Halloween, I attended two story-telling events that were great.

The Historical Society had Linda Ford, formerly of Sleepy Hollow, come in and tell spooky stories for the season. Linda now lives in northern Florida, and you can take the girl out of Sleepy Hollow but NEVER take the Sleepy Hollow out of the girl.

Linda retold The Legend of Sleepy Hollow as well as told stories that I had never heard before. They were great. She told a story by Ray Bradbury, who had given her permission to tell it years ago, that I later found out scared a friend of mine out of her wits when she first read it. The sanctuary of home, of that place where we are invincible and nothing can harm us, is turned upside down after a long, scary walk through a hollow that turns out to be the place of relative safety, as the woman who arrived home unfortunately found out.

I got a chance to talk with Linda for a few minutes. She misses living in Sleepy Hollow but, like all retirees–and younger people of normal means–are discovering, the taxes in Westchester are too high to be affordable. I cannot own a house here, which is why I only rent. (Actually, I’ve rented everywhere I’ve ever lived, except when I was in my parents’ house.) She would love to return to the area, but would have to live a few hours away. Thankfully in that regard, there are some options. She did, however, have some wonderful things to say about the southern storytellers with whom she had met and discussed their craft.

The following Sunday, I attended a storytelling session with David Neilsen, formerly Major André, who did a wonderful telling of stories in the Washington Irving Memorial Chapel in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Whereas Linda Ford told her stories from memory, Neilsen read his from a book, but his reading was very dramatic.

My favorite story was the one where the students are gathered in the cemetery trying to raise the dead on Halloween and a young British boy shows up and talks with them. They believe that he is a ghost and call for him to go back to where he came. He does–the parking lot, where his parents were anxious to leave. He explains that there are so many interesting people you can meet in the cemetery–like the group of high school students who were killed one Halloween night by a runaway truck.

Two different storytelling techniques, both exceptional in their own way.

Beekman Avenue Terror

On a fire engine

This pumpkin-headed scarecrow is at the top of Beekman Avenue in Sleepy Hollow, standing in front of the clock. I snapped it last Saturday, during the fall festival on the street.

It’s that time of year again.

Historical Society’s Valentines

Before the month is over, and wanting to have a posting on Leap Year Day, here is something at the Historical Society.

No, I have not changed my mind from my last post. I still think Valentine’s Day is for people with not a romantic bone in their bodies. However, in honor of the day, the Historical Society installed a display of Valentines from the past. Many of them look to be from the late 19th-early 20th century.

For those you who like Valentine’s Day, enjoy. For those of us who don’t, it’s still interesting to look at artifacts from a bygone era.

The Month of Valentines

When I lived in Pittsburgh, I used to have “I Hate Valentine’s Day” parties. And people came. Men, women, couples, singles, straight, gay, all came because we shared the same belief: the sappiness of an insipid holiday.

I’ve always believed that one should be romantic and do nice things for one’s significant other–whether married or just dating–all the time. Why would someone need a holiday to do this once a year when one does it constantly throughout the year? My philosophy.

While in Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving, I went through some things in my storage bin (something else that needs cleaned), and I came across some of the decorations I used for the parties. So, I brought them back to New York with me.

Part of my contempt for Valentine’s Day stems from misinformation.  According to Catholic Online, not much is known about Valentine and there are various stories told about him; he may have been two men who were merged into one saint, like Saint Nicholas. However, none of them deal with him in a romance with anyone. The story I know best is that he was imprisoned for being a Christian and he made friends with his jailer’s daughter, to whom he taught Christianity. On the day of his death (which may have been February 14, although no one seems to agree on the year), Valentine left his friend a note telling her to be faithful and to continue to believe. It was signed, “Your Valentine.”

So, the story was one of conversion. Other stories talk of him marrying Christian couples and even trying to convert Emperor Claudius II, which did not work. In any event, besides being the patron saint of lovers and married couples, he is also the saint of beekeepers, the engaged, young people, epilepsy, greetings, fainting, travelers and plague. Because there was so little known about Valentine, the Roman Catholic Church removed him from their General Calendar, but he’s still considered a saint.

More intriguing to me is the assertion, cited by Catholic Online, of two 18th century English antiquarians that Valentine’s Day was established to off-set the pagan holiday of Lupercalia, which is February 15. This makes complete sense to me.

I already did a post on Lupercalia. For that matter, I also discussed Valentine’s Day, but I fleshed it out a bit more by including Catholic Online information.

For those of you who need Valentine’s Day, enjoy. For the rest of us, it’s just another day.

Christmas at the Historical Society

Entryway decorations

Since the season does not end until January 7, at least for me, I thought that I’d share the photos of the decorations at the Historical Society. Last year, I helped decorate, but I didn’t have time to help this year. Actually, these past three months I haven’t had the time to volunteer at all, so it was nice to be back.

Unlike last year, there is a big tree in every room on the first floor. This is one idea that I embraced years ago. Although I did not put up a tree this year, I usually put up a tree in every room of my apartment. This includes the kitchen and the bathroom. The idea behind this is that the holiday should be reflected in every room. The trees are not always big. The bathroom tree is no more than six inches high with small ornaments. Actually, the main tree in the living room is only five feet; I have no large tree. I came up with this idea years ago, and I was surprised that the concept behind it had been popular in early America.

The main room

Close-up of the main room tree

Tree in the left room

Small tree in the left room

Tree in the Captors’ Room

Though trees would not become popular until after Queen Victoria’s Prince Albert brought them from his native Germany to Britain, and the tradition made its way across the Atlantic, in Washington Irving’s day it was believed that the holiday season should be represented in every room. The people would bring pine tree branches, pine cones, holly and mistletoe in from outside to decorate their mantles, shelves, dressers, wherever. The house would also have a nice scent of pine.

Washington Irving’s desk at the Historical Society

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend any of the holiday events at Sunnyside, Washington Irving’s home. The one year I went, they had the branches of pine and holly throughout the rooms of the house, as well as a wonderful bonfire in the yard. They had hot apple cider to keep the chill of the night at bay. (Too bad the temperature was close to 60 degrees. I fondly remember that trip to Sunnyside.

Happy new year to all!

Happy Holidays!

The Empire State Building, lighted for the holidays

Well, the terrible term is over.

I was able to finish one class, finish an incomplete, and get another incomplete in another class, which will be finished by the end of January.

What a nightmare.

I’ve always believed that the end of the year, regardless of what you believe or disbelieve, should be one happy season. Go out and enjoy the season. Have some fun. We survived another year, which is something to celebrate. Spend it with people you care for, not people you can’t stand. (You know who they are.)

Though late, better late than never. Here are the few images I took before Christmas came. I wish I was able to do some of the things I wanted to do, but I just couldn’t get around to it. Well, there’s always next year.

Happy holidays!

Downtown Tarrytown decorated for the holidays

Madison Square Park’s tree

Bryant Park’s tree

New Year’s Eve

I attended a nice little party at Tara’s, who is one of the volunteers at the Historical Society. Unfortunately, two people could not come because of illness. Nevertheless, a fun time was had by all. I met some very nice people and, as you can see, we were feeling no pain.

Happy new year to all!

 

The Trees of New York

Here’s some trees I found in New York, decorated for the holidays.

Bryant Park’s tree …

… and its star top

The Bryant Park tree across the ice skating rink

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree from the side …

… and from the front. This was taken across Fifth Avenue, since there was no room on the sidewalk opposite

The Met Life Building’s tree

The Historical Society’s tree in Tarrytown