The Colonial kitchen at the Bevier House Museum
By the 1930s, the Society, led by Judge G. V. D. Hasbrouck, was ready for a permanent home. At about the same time, the “last” Louis Bevier to occupy the family’s Marbletown home accepted the position of dean at Rutgers University. As a result, in 1938, through a series of acquaintances and the efforts of society member Herb Cutler, arrangements were made to convey ownership of the Bevier House to the Ulster County Historical Society.
As you enter the house today and are transported back to a different era, it is difficult to believe that, when UCHS initially received the building, the home was completely empty. Nonetheless, work began to revitalize the structure and to install a variety of collections from numerous donors. Thus, while most of the items on display in the various rooms may not be original to the Bevier home, they are representative of early Ulster County history.
The parlor, for example, displays furniture and numerous items donated by the Elting family. On the walls, paintings by Jervis McEntee and Julia Dillion, as well as other artwork within the building, connect you to the work of the early Hudson River artists. Across the hall, the dining room similarly greets the visitor with period furniture from the area as portraits of the Cornell family gaze down upon you. As you cross the threshold into the kitchen, which contains elements of the original one-room structure, you are immediately transported back to Colonial days as the hearth and carefully displayed cooking utensils and tools invoke thoughts of what once was while, at the same time, offering a renewed appreciation for modern appliances. The concept of family life as the Bevier family might have lived it is further enhanced on the second floor through the recreation of two 19th-century bedrooms. Containing a number of personal items, some also from the Elting family, the two rooms offer visitors a look back at both an adult bedroom and a child’s bedroom.
In addition to the presentation of the house as a “lived-in” home, UCHS has also taken care to expand the visitor’s awareness of local history through its tool room and Civil War room. Just off the kitchen, the tool room greets visitors with a variety of artifacts recalling our rural past. Originally established by John Remsnyder and later reorganized by (and dedicated to) Peter Sinclair, the tool room serves as a reminder that, while life inside the home may have been moderately comfortable for its day, hard work and the labor of many were required year-round to sustain the household.
Upstairs, the Society presents a remarkable collection of Civil War artifacts. Much of what is on display was provided to the Society in the 1960s by Will Plank and includes maps, uniforms, documents, campaign drums and photographs. While the Civil War may have been fought across terrain far distant from our own, the room serves as a reminder how the tragic possibilities of war visited each and every community in Ulster County. So too are we reminded of the service and sacrifice of those young men from Ulster County who marched off to fates unknown.
Beyond what is publicly displayed throughout the many rooms of the Bevier House, the UCHS is also home to an important archival collection. Those wishing to conduct research on our area’s history will find a wide variety of resources within the Society’s archives, including property records, local histories, diaries, letters, maps, probate records and other documents significant not only because they highlight the important aspects of our local history, but also because they also provide insight into the everyday lives that our forebears led.
In keeping with its mission of fostering and expanding our knowledge of local history, the Society has also begun to offer a revitalized version of the Ulster County Gazette to its members, either in digital or hard-copy form. While the Gazette was primary to the early work of the Society, its return, through the efforts of Elizabeth Werlau and others affiliated with the Society, is a gift welcomed by those who share a love for the varied and unique chapters that comprise our county’s story. For those seeking earlier editions of the Gazette, UCHS has also undertaken the process of scanning publications from previous years for placement on the Hudson River Valley Heritage website (www.hrvh.org).
In 2012, New York State launched its “Path through History” initiative. While the signage program has had its share of critics, it does point to an interesting question: “What is the true path when wishing to explore the intricacies of our area’s past?” For many, that answer lies not only in the efforts of the UCHS, but also in the collections found on the shelves of our many local historical societies. The work carried out by Suzanne Hauspurg, the UCHS Board, the volunteers at the Bevier House and their counterparts at societies across the county is not easy. It requires patience, knowledge and a professional dedication to the mission set forth in their charter and their bylaws.
It also requires funding, for, while millions of dollars may go to pay for signage across the state, precious little public money goes to where the real history of our fellow citizens and their families is preserved. That is why it is important for all to support the work of our local historical societies through membership, donations or volunteering. The unsung work and the dedication offered by organizations such as UCHS deserve no less.
Besides, without their efforts, we might never find such humanizing postscripts to the lives that have shaped our communities as was once offered, in 1916, by Susan Bevier on the life of her ancestor, David Bevier: “In his old age, he became very gentle and patient. A neighbor use to tell how… he use to see him walking about the place daily accompanied by some of his animal friends and pensioners. A faithful dog and a goose were particularly devoted to him and would follow him for miles” (The Bevier Family). Such are the fine threads that connect the fabric of our history.
To inquire about membership in the Ulster County Historical Society, go to https://ulstercountyhs.org/support/membership. The Ulster County Historical Society’s Bevier House Museum is located at 2682 Route 209 in Stone Ridge. The museum is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from May to October. For more information, call 338-5614 or visit ulstercountyhs.org.
Edward was my greatgrandfather. Looking for obit on date of death 2/8/1950