The
Villa Belvidere
Grand Old
Mansion of Mr. and Mrs. S. Hoxie Clark on the Upper Genesee
Robert Morris, Alexander
Hamilton and the Church Family Associated with its Historic Beginnings.
THE RED CROSS FETE
Last Wednesday, the
beautiful grounds of Villa Belvidere became the scene of the much advertised Red Cross Festival and Musicale and the public was given an opportunity to see this historic place. Fully four
hundred visitors, young and old, were there during the afternoon, and nearly a hundred cars were parked along the highway fronting the grounds. Mr. and Mrs. S. Hoxie Clark had generously
opened the grounds and the Villa for the Red Cross entertainment planned by the Wellsville Chapter. The affair could not have been more enjoyable or more successful. The crowd began to
gather soon after two o’clock, despite the heavy rain that fell about 1 pm. There were showers during the afternoon, but it did not dampen the sprits of the crowd. Scattered about the
grounds the visitors inspected the beautiful gardens, the century old shade trees, the noted mansion, more than a hundred years old; inspected the model dairy barn, the blooded Jerseys,
the pigeons and the poultry. Several hours could be profitably and pleasantly spent in going over the grounds and the visitors were given a welcome everywhere.
The committees had
arranged the sale of ice cream cones, pop corn, boutonnieres, candy, lemonade, buttermilk, etc. The crowd was generous and bought willingly of the young girls in costumes and the products
of Mr. Wm McKenzie, who was in charge of the popcorn machine, generously loaned for the occasion by the Cretekos Brothers of Wellsville. These sales added to the profits of the day, and
with the admissions, more than $300 will be added to the Wellsville Chapter’s treasury.
Rev. L. H. Buisch took
charge at the gate and the automobiles were handled in a careful way that no accidents resulted and the crowd was quickly unloaded in front of the Villa and the cars parked in the highway.
The musical program at
3 o’clock was given in the parlor of the mansion and was listened to with great pleasure by the visitors. A further mention of the program is given below:
Following the musicale
an auction was held on the lawn with the irrepressibly Guy Green, in the role of auctioneer. The livestock and articles for the sale were contributed by Mr. and Mrs. Clark and under the
persuasive chaffing of Green, brought very generous prices. A Jersey bull calf sold for $50; a small pig for $17.50; a goose went for $10 and another one for $7; boilers brought a dollar
a head; pigeons $5 and $8 a pair; strawberries a dollar a quart; and hot house cucumbers 75 cents to $1.50 each. A pair of black kittens went to Master Grant Duke for a dollar; and before
the sale was over a goodly sum was realized.
THE MUSICALE
The musical program
rendered by Miss Laura Van Kuran, soprano, Mrs. June Reed Babcock, violinist, and Miss Helen Wolverton, accompanist was a great success, as was evinced by the enthusiasm and deep attention
of the large audience. Each number was warmly applauded and many encores were given. In her opening number “I am Titania”, from the opera of “Mignon”, Miss Van Kuran displayed a fluent
technique and command of her vocal resources. The song “Deep River”, by H. T. Burleigh was sung with true emotion and good tone quality. She was obliged to repeat it. The French song
“Vars dausez, Marquise”, by Lemaire also appealed to the audience. Her last number with violin obbligato played by Mrs. Babcock, “the Spirits, Flower, Campbell, Tipton” was a fitting
close to a beautiful program.
Mrs. June Reed Babcock
who is well known and admired here, was most enthusiastically received, many saying that she never played so well. Her deep resonant tone, sincerity and warmth of temperament make her an
appealing artist. Her program Czarda, Zeno by Hubay, Viennese Popular song, Kreisler, which she repeated and Liebesfreud, Kreisler, all gave much pleasure. She also responded to an
encore.
Miss Helen Wolverton of
this city added much to the success of the program by her splendidly sympathetic accompaniments. All of these artists donated their services for the benefit of the Red Cross. It was at
the suggestion of Miss Van Kuran that the musicale was given.
RED CROSS GIRLS
Here is a list of the
pretty girls, who in Red Cross garb, charmed the change from the pockets of all whom they approached. They sold flowers, buttermilk, lemonade, badges, candy and salted peanuts, and with
their charming manners added much to the affair.
Margaret Church, Agnes
O’Connor, Ruth Van Campen, Margaret O’Connor, Velma Davis, Katherine Gonter, Erma Cleveland, Lucile Houghton, Edith Swartout, Dorothy Wilhelm, Katherine Wilhelm, Margaret Braunschweiger,
Laura Hoyt, Mercy Higgins, Helen Harder, Helen Newman Colette Day.
Committee of
Arrangements
Mrs. Alwin Schaller
Mrs. Harry Bradley
Mrs Lewis H. Thornton
Committee on
Sales
Miss Susan
Breckenridge
Miss Victoria Duke
Mrs Elmer Spicer
Miss Gertrude Robertson
Mrs. E.A. Rathbone
Miss Mary Rosa
Committee on
Tickets
Miss Christine McEwen
Committee on
Transportation
Mrs Dana Richards
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE STORY
OF VILLA BELVIDERE
Mr. L. H. Thornton of
Wellsville, who is familiar with the history of the Villa Belvidere, has
furnished for the Reporter a story of this noted place that will be read with interest by all:
THE VILLA BELVIDERE
By Lewis H.
Thornton
The fertile valley of
the Genesee is well known as one of the most charming of the many landscape beauties of the Empire State. Letchworth State Park and the river below the great Portage gorge have been much
described, and so has the Seneca Indian village at Caneadea, but aside from what Mr. John S. Minard wrote of Villa Belvidere, the beautiful hills, brooks and woods and the bountifully
productive fields of the upper Genesee have not often found themselves pictured in print. Recently, however, much attention is being called to the lovely Genesee country in Allegany
county and particularly to Belvidere Farms, the fifteen hundred acre estate surrounding Villa Belvidere. A marvelous development has taken place there in the last decade since its
purchase by Mr. and Mrs. S. Hoxie Clark of St. Louis. A century ago it was the only well cultivated farm in the county, but laid rather fallow for a generation before the ownership of Mr.
F. B. Keeney, who made hay and Jersey his specialty.
Profitable
and Beautiful
Continuing successful
grass production and dairy development, Mr. and Mrs…and increased the hay crop in some years to a thousand tons. Mrs. Clark has made the farm and dairy management her avocation and
delight and in accepting its ownership as a gift from her husband, promised to conduct it in a real business way. Thus has been developed a model farm, profitable, productive and
beautiful, a splendid example of the best possible use of wealth. Nothing in the whole realm of labor and investment does so much for mankind as the production of food, and when
unhampered for funds, it can be done in such a splendid way as at Belvidere, it affords a worthy example.
Harmonious
Restoration
Not only has Mrs.
Clark directed her unusual abilities to agricultural and dairy development, but to the harmonious restoration and beautification of the historic Villa Belvidere. This grand old manor
house was built in 1809 by Judge Philip Church to receive his bride, Miss Anne Stewart of Philadelphia. Before this there was a small frame house, painted white, erected on another site
in 1806, and distinguished as the first painted house in New York State, west of Canandaigua. Mr. and Mrs. Clark have preserved intact the grand old style of the Villa Belvidere and like
Washington’s Mount Vernon and Jefferson’s Monticello, it is now saved in its original beauties, a glorious architectural monument of the American revolutionary period. But it was never so
beautiful or so complete as now, never so sumptuously furnished or so well kept by a retinue of trained servants. The American aristocracy of the early years of the nineteenth century
which frequented this fine old “house in the woods” would be happy indeed could it know with what taste and refinement the place has been developed.
The villa, built 108
years ago, retains nearly the exact exterior form as fashioned by workmen who were brought from Albany in 1809. The brick used were made on the place and the stone was quarried there.
When it was only partly completed Philip Church started with his bride from Philadelphia in a coach and four. As the roads led into less civilized parts simpler conveyances were used and
from Bath through Hornell into Allegany County, the route was by way of bridal paths and horse back.
Alexander Hamilton
Responsible
Alexander Hamilton
was responsible for Belvidere ownership by Philip Church, having negotiated the mortgage for J.B. Church with Robert Morris, whose financing of the American revolution made him poor, and
he soon requested John B. Church to foreclose the mortgage.
The whole circle of
Hamilton’s powerful friends would be filled with wonder to contemplate the modern farm and villa, with their gasoline tractors, mechanical milkers, telephones and up to date labor savers.
Some think there are too many modern comforts and that the simple old life was preferable, but every age has its faults, and if we err on the side of luxury the high thinkers and hard
livers of a century ago in pioneer America had other sins fully as bad. Private dueling was common and the great Alexander Hamilton was killed in contest with Colonel Burr. Among the
Church heirlooms at Belvidere were the very pistols that Hamilton used in that fatal duel. Heavy drinking and high gambling were commoner than at present and in the days when Villa
Belvidere was at the height of its aristocratic entertaining, George Washington wrote in his diary: “Lost five pounds at cards last night to Rev. Boucher.”
Eighty Two Cents
an Acre
John Barker Church,
who loaned Robert Morris $82,000 on a mortgage of 100,000 acres of the Morris Reserve, covering several townships in Allegany county of which Villa Belvidere was the center, came from
England, an intimate friend of the Prime Ministers Fox and Pitt. When he had to foreclose he did so in the name of his young son Phillip Church, then private secretary for Alexander
Hamilton, who first came and lived in the woods as an adventure. But when his father lost his fortune, Captain Philip, later Judge Church, made Belvidere his permanent home, and sold off
lands until under Major Richard Church’s ownership there remained the Villa Belvidere, having been in the family nearly one hundred years.
Magnificent Trees
– Lovely Gardens
The grand old forest
monarch of primal days which Judge Church selected to surround the villa are still there, elms, pines and maples, and the old fashioned flower gardens have been greatly developed, one
section with a thousand rose bushes, and in the formal English garden hundreds of every variety that grandmother used to love. There is also an Italian sunken garden, rockery, pergolas
and green houses. It may have been nearly a hundred years ago that Judge Church set out the scores of Norway spruce which now pierce their remarkable beauty into the sky and enhance the
broad views across the great velvet lawns.
Villa Belvidere has a
rare beauty – naturally and esthetically, in house and farm and garden and the charming hospitality of its modern owners is as delightful as when it entertained scions of the French
nobility and the famous men of early American history.
BELVIDERE FARMS
It is interesting
that the largest and most productive farm in Allegany County was the first well cultivated farm within the county, but the acreage under the plow in the early days of the last century were
very few. This year there are three hundred acres of hay fields; seventy five acres of oats; seventy acres of vegetables and kitchen gardens; forty five acres of corn, thirty four acres
of wheat; thirty acres of potatoes; twenty acres of barley; twenty acres of beans and seven acres of cabbage; in all 601 cultivated acres with the rest of the 1406 acres in pasture and
woodlands. Just now the twenty two acre field of wheat along the main highway opposite the house is a beautiful sight, a perfectly clean and heavy stand which looks like thirty bushels to
the acre. James Henry is the capable and experienced farm superintendent.
OTHER DEPARTMENT
HEADS
The department
superintendents at the Belvidere Farms other than those already mentioned are Jas. Stewart, general secretary, Thos Van Winkle, pigeons and C.H. Palmer, poultry.
BELVIDERE DAIRY
The Belvidere herd of
blooded Jerseys of the best registered strain is well known to all cattle breeders in America. Since the purchase by Mr. and Mrs. S. Hoxie Clark of this dairy from Mr. F. B. Keeny it has
been doubled in size, now numbering 165 head, with a $10,000 bull leading the herd, the great Irene’s King Pogis, son of Jacoba Irene, the world’s champion cow. There is also a very
valuable imported bull, Belvidere Gamboge Majesty. One of the cows at five years was tested last year. She had no extra care or feeding but fared just like the other milkers for the
twelve months, 634.33 pounds of butter fat and 746.27 pounds of butter, the milk averaging 5.71 per cent.
Mechanical milkers
are used and centrifugal separators. Las month the average shipment of 40 per cent cream to New York was 64 quarts a day which brought a premium above the regular market price, and
although the writer was not so informed, the net price at Belvidere must have been about 50 cents a quart. Absolute cleanliness and high standard quality, always the same, makes any milk
product bring a premium. The skim milk is well utilized for the poultry, pigs, and calves, and the milk fed chickens and broilers are premium priced by the Hotel Biltmore in New York,
which takes the whole output of the poultry farm, with its 800 laying hens and 3000 chickens.
The dairy is
wonderfully attractive with its clean white walls and concrete floors, and under the supervision of Mr. Thomas Henry and creamery man, Ed Pielow, everything is in perfect sanitary shape.
Superintendent Tom
Henry says that a recent week was a gala one at Belvidere as there were born three pairs of fine Jersey twins, all of them healthy.
PIGEONS AND SQUAB
The Belvidere
squabbery with its 2000 pigeons is one of the profitable departments of the farm. The squabs are sold mostly to the large hotels in New York, like the Biltmore, the Ritz and the Waldorf,
but convalescents and banqueters in Bradford, Olean and Wellsville are regular patrons.
Peking ducks and
capons are the next specialties that will be developed at Belvidere. Forty four registered Berkshire pigs are already a feature.
