He's scheduled for
the first reenactment event of the year, the School of Instruction at
New Windsor, on April 26. Tom says he particularly enjoyed
Morristown, where Lamb's Artillery fired off a cannon to greet him and
he was escorted down the main street by a ``band of musick.''
Liberty! The Film Lives Again
We heard from Ron Blumer, the writer of the film
Liberty!, that PBS is planning to rebroadcast it on July
4. Ron says serious negotiations are in progress to show the film in
England. We also noted on our own hook that the production recently won a
Christopher Award. Moreover, Muffie Meyer and Ellen Hovde, the film's
producers, were nominated for Directors Guild Awards.
Congratulations!
Stealing History Blind
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania recently computerized its
inventory -- and was appalled to find out that over 200 items, worth
an estimated three million dollars, were missing. They included a
lock of George Washington's hair, an authentic 18th Century long
rifle, and a gold snuff box given to Andrew Hamilton, the attorney who
successfully defended John Peter Zenger.
FBI gumshoes soon discovered they had been lifted by Ernest Medford, a
longtime janitor, and sold to a history buff named George Csizmazia
for a grand total of $8,000. Mr. Csizmazia claimed to have no idea
where his friend Ernest got these fascinating artifacts. One wonders
if a jury will believe him.
The Treasurer's Trivia Treat
James A. Dolan wins again! He correctly answered the February 1998
trivia treat, naming the signers of the Declaration of Independence
born in Massacusetts.
John Adams John Hancock Samuel Adams William Hooper Josiah Bartlett Roger Sherman Benjamin Franklin William Whipple Elbridge Gerry
The oldest church in New York City (all five boroughs) is the Friends (Quaker) Meeting House in Flushing, Queens. It was built in 1695, and has been used continuously for worship except from 1776 to 1783, when the British used it as a hospital and later a stable.
The cover story of the March/April 1998 issue of Preservation tells ``Monticello's Untold Story.'' In 1836, Uriah Phillips Levy purchased Jefferson's home. It would not be sold until 1923 by his descendant, Jefferson Monroe Levy. Even though they owned the property for 87 years, ``the role of the Levy family in saving and restoring Monticello is one of the best-kept secrets of American preservation.''
It is a story fraught with mystery, controversy, and alas, anti-Semitism. Not until 1985 would the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, the present owners of Monticello, officially recognize the Levy family's ownership. Tour guides did not mention the Levy contribution; guide books gave few details, and Levy relatives were discouraged from visiting their family's gravesite on the property.
Yet the Levys had been there, protecting their nation's heritage
against time and uncaring people. It is a wonderful article about the
evolution of American preservation -- and American society.
A Mystery Solved by the New York Times
Q: What is the weird gold lump atop the independence flagstaff in
Union Square?
A: It's a weather vane in the shape of a liberty cap.
On February
15, the New York Times told her readers that in the late 18th Century,
the liberty cap was recognized a symbol of political rebellion and the
struggle for universal freedom. The cap became part of the
iconography of the American rebellion after Paul Revere included it in
engravings he produced in the 1760s. Caps were placed atop flagpoles
during the Revolutionary War. But as a popular symbol of liberty, it
all but vanished after the war.
Notes from The Landmark Maven
Less than a mile east southeast of our last landmark in Brooklyn
Heights is another incredible walkway. It runs from the cobblestone
driveway of the River Cafe on Water and Old Fulton Streets past the
Brooklyn tower of the bridge along the Fulton Ferry Esplanade and
across the street to the boardwalk and park benches of the Empire
Fulton Ferry State Park. Together they make for a photographer's
nightmare; every view in every kind of weather is breathtaking and you
never have enough film. So what does the Brooklyn side of the bridge
have to do with the American Revolution?
We know from a previous column that the construction on the Manhattan side obliterated the site of George Washington's first executive mansion. When they began excavating to build the Brooklyn side they dug up more than dirt. Those construction workers discovered the remains of nearly 11,000 American patriots buried in mass graves. The area from the Brooklyn Bridge to the old Brooklyn Navy Yard used to be referred to as Wallabout Bay, and anchored off shore in the East River were His Majesty's prison hulks.
The American patriots were held aboard these starvation and disease ridden ships. They were not considered prisoners of war but rather rebels fighting against their rightful king, under a presumptive sentence of death if a trip to Old Bailey could be arranged. All these captives had to do to get a hot meal, a bath and a change of clothes was renounce their allegiance to American independence and volunteer for the King's navy. Instead nearly all chose to wake up every morning to the abovedeck call: ``Rebels turn out your dead.''
As a warm summer's afternoon turns to evening along the boardwalk and
you are enjoying the slight breeze, somehow it seems appropriate that
you are looking at the most expensive real estate in the world. Some
people paid a great price to make that possible.
Crispus Attucks Becomes Coin of the Realm
The U.S. Mint is issuing a Black Revolutionary War Patriots
Commemorative Coin. The obverse shows Crispus Attucks (of Boston
Massacre Fame); the reverse shows the Black Patriots Memorial planned
for the mall in Washington D.C. A portion of the sale will go towards
the memorial. To get a pre-issue discount, call 1-800-MINT-USA by
April 4. The price is $33.00. Various sets are available.
In Memory of Sam Cohen
The Round Table learned as the newsletter was going to press that one
of our founding members, Samuel J. Cohen, died in Baltimore at the age
of 90. Sam headed the speaker's committee and long served on the
board of governors. While living in Philadelphia, he played a key
role in raising funds to rebuild the house where Thomas Jefferson wrote
the Declaration of Independence.
For those who want to express their sympathy, contributions can be
sent to the Samuel J. Cohen Fund at Independence Hall, 313 Walnut
Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
Where to Find Out About Benedict A.
Will Randall has been besieged by Round Tablers seeking to get copies
of his biography, Benedict Arnold, Patriot and Traitor,
now out of print. (It won our Annual Award the year it was
published.) Will says he can supply copies to anyone interested.
Contact him at 200 Summit Street, Burlington, VT 05401, or on E-mail:
VIP in Town
George Washington came to town for his 266th birthday and had a very
good time. Richard Kaplan, organizer of the nonprofit tour
organization, Heritage Trails, was the official host and publicity
agent. Mr. Kaplan hired two actors to dress up as George and Martha,
complete with powdered wigs. About 100 people followed them on their
tour of downtown New York.
The first First Couple stood on the steps of Federal Hall while the crowd waved dollar bills at them. They walked from there to (where else) the Round Table's home away from home, Fraunces Tavern, stopping at St. Paul's Chapel and Bowling Green enroute. Actor Douglas Kiddie, who played George, issued a presidential proclamation, and Maria Dering, who played Martha, chatted about shopping for chickens at the open-air markets of the day -- and yearning for Mount Vernon.
A lot of fun was had by all -- and maybe some people learned a little history.