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| Tappantown Historical Society |
Tappantown Historical Society Annual Meeting
President’s Annual Report, November 13, 2009
Good evening, and welcome to the 44th Annual Meeting of the Tappantown Historical Society.
Before I give the annual report, I would like to dedicate this evening to Sally Dewey, who died
yesterday morning. So much of this program had its genesis in Sally’s research, so that it is indeed
a bittersweet moment in which we honor her. Sally has been the heart, soul, and mind of THS for a
generation. She has left her mark as a researcher and writer, a genealogist, a walking tour
coordinator, and thrift shop volunteer; she has been the Historic Society’s secretary, treasurer, vice
president, and the president from 1982- 86; she has been our archivist, an indefatigable board
member, a witty story teller, a wise counselor, and a trusted friend. With her sharp and subtle mind,
Sally was our collective memory. Whenever a question needed answering, a fact checked, a mystery
explained, the solution was, “Ask Sally.” We will not be able to hear her wonderfully detailed
recollections and digressions, but, fortunately for us, she kept meticulous files and records. Even
better, they are almost all handwritten. To read her notes is to have a real sense of the extraordinary
person who recorded and interpreted the minutiae of local history for the future generations.
We will find another time to give Sally fuller tribute. Now we will move on to the meeting at hand.
2009 has been another year of accomplishments. I would like to thank the members of the board
for their unflagging energy, sound advice, and diligence in adhering to THS’s mission of education
about and preservation of the community’s heritage. They are board members Susan Gewirtz, John
Morton, Ginny McCarthy, Joe Napoli, Keith Walker, and officers Jackie Shatz, 1st VP; Lucille Starink,
2ndVP; Chris Gremski, Corresponding Secretary; and Marilyn Schauder, Recording Secretary. I
especially want to thank Treasurer Geri McCauley, who is not continuing in her position. Geri has
been assistant treasurer and treasurer on and off for many years and has done a great job minding
the books and keeping an astute eye on the numbers. Thank you for all the hours and the hard work,
Geri.
Thank you also to former officers and board members Peter Schuerholz, Mary Cardenas, and
Tom LaValle for your staying power and to those who regularly attend our meetings: Don Higgins,
Pat Sullivan, Alan Seebach, Heidi Boucher, and Tom Quinn.
To review our major annual activities: the Awards Dinner, The Plant Sale, the Concert, and
Colonial Day. The Awards Dinner on Feb. 27 was attended by a record number of 89 members and
guests. Achievement Awards went to journalist Suzanne Daycock for her excellent series of articles
on Tappan in 2007 and 2008 in Our Town.
William Beckmann was lauded for the restoration of the Mabie-Hennion House at 67 Main St., which
houses his business, Beckmann Appraisals, and for the installation of a stone wall and perennial
border along Main St. by landscape architect Mary Ellen LeWarn. Mary Cardenas, Director of the
Orangetown Museum and Elizabeth Skrabonja, Curator of the Museum were honored for the
restoration of the Salyer House and specifically for the creation of the permanent exhibit, “A Spy in
Our Midst,” which chronicles the conspiracy between Major John Andre and Benedict Arnold.
Founding member Ginny McCarthy received the Fellowship Award for over forty years of service –
service characterized by her intelligence, wit, and tenacity in maintaining the goals of education and
preservation.
As a run-up to the Plant Sale in May, THS sponsored a Garden Group meeting in late March in the
Manse Barn featuring a talk and demonstration on container gardening by master gardener Lois
Reid. Lois was on hand at the Plant Sale on May 9, and was joined by gardeners Winifred Strakosch
and Joe Napoli, who gave expert advice on planting, mulching, and watering. Stokes Farms provided
annuals, hanging baskets, and vegetable plants. Small trees and shrubs, and perennials from
members’ gardens were also available. Raffle prizes from local businesses and baked goods by
Edna Nitopi also helped to make this one of our most successful plant sales.
The Concerts in the Park, which THS and the Tappan Library had sponsored for several years,
gave way to a weather-proof concert in the Tappan Reformed Church on May 30. John Morton
arranged for us to sponsor the Rockland Camerata in a concert commemorating the Henry Hudson
Quadricentennial with music from 1609 and three centuries of American music.
Perfect weather on September 26 brought people in droves to Tappan for the TRC’s Fall Festival
and for the Historic Society’s 25th Colonial Day. Several inspired changes in logistics and planning
made the day run more smoothly than ever ( even at the beleaguered candle-dipping table, once it
got under way), and we had a small cadre of new volunteers who were crucial in making the day a
success. Thank you, Lucille, for your expert coordination of the complex elements of this major
undertaking.
Two of our enduring programs under Sally Dewey’s stewardship are the Tappan Zee Thrift Shop
in Piermont and the guided walking tours of Tappan. Sally and volunteers Jackie Shatz and Ginny
McCarthy put in hundreds of hours at the Thrift Shop for the benefit of the society. Over three hundred
elementary students and several adult groups toured Tappan under the enthusiastic and
knowledgeable guidance of Janet Galloway, Peter Schuerholz, Thano Schoppel, Keith Walker, and,
here at the DeWint House with Harold and Kathy Jones.
In addition, Ginny, Keith, and Rob Norden of the ‘76 House regaled 4th graders with the story of
Major John Andre on Oct. 2, the anniversary of his hanging. Students were shown where he was
imprisoned in the ‘76 (old Mabie House) House, and then they “walked the walk” to the site of the
hanging on Andre Hill. Please take a look at the thank you notes on display from Ms. O’Brien’s
Fourth Grade class at Cottage Lane.
Board member and architect Keith Walker helps with our preservation efforts by attending the
monthly HABOR meetings to represent our concerns that building plans are followed in accordance
with historic district regulations.
Another way in which we fulfill our educational goal is though the awarding of a $500.00
scholarship to a graduating TZHS student who has shown excellence in American history. This year’
s recipient was Bradley Silverman, who was a member of the TZHS History Honor Society, an editor
of the school newspaper, and a third-place winner in the NY State competition in May.
THS has several works-in-progress: headed by Marilyn Schauder, the effort to restore he
damaged 19th century fence around the Andre Memorial is moving along slowly but thoroughly so
that we can give the County Highway Department a complete recommendation for the restoration of
the memorial.
A survey of Sears homes in Tappan is in its early stages, but eventually, THS hopes to publish an
issue of The Drummer Boy featuring these homes, in the same way that we have documented the
18th and 19th century houses.
The Tappan Library, the Tappan Reformed Church, and THS have adopted the small triangle at
Kings Highway and Greenbush Road, and after the town’s drainage and sidewalk project is finished,
planting will begin in the spring with Joe Napoli and Jack Higgins in charge.
The Archives Committee has its hands full trying to organize the materials we have in storage and
that have been given us by various members. THS now has a formal Collections Policy, and we will
sort thorough the mountain of material in order to make sure it is handled according to archival
standards. Chris Gremski has begun to scan old postcards – a first step in digitizing our collection.
We will also continue to work with the Tappan Library to create a Historical Society reading and
resource area, and to help them in their expansion efforts. Similarly, we will be helping the TRC in its
restoration project, which is just about to begin. Many of you have been concerned about saving the
vulnerable Norway maple near the church. Unfortunately the two projects – the church restoration
and the drainage and sidewalk project – made it impossible to save the tree. Because of our efforts
at having an independent arborist evaluate the tree and make recommendations for both its possible
preservation and eventual replacement, the town has pledged to plant two trees of a significant size
in a less vulnerable area near the church.
Our work on the tree ordinance will resume, and we hope to have a proposal by spring.
We have also sent a letter to the residents and business owners in the center of historic Tappan
encouraging them to return to the tradition of decorating their buildings with natural greens and
placing candle lights in the windows.
We have received a few gifts. When Chase Bank took over Washington Mutual last year and closed
its Oak Tree Road branch in July, their manger arranged that THS be given two works of art; the
paining of Main Street by Jane Toan, which is on the cover of Tappan 300 Years, and also the
engraving of the Capture of Major Andre, which Ginny and Ed McCarthy worked on many years ago.
We have also received Paul Melone’s bequest and will be considering how to use his generous
gift in a way to honor Paul and benefit the community.
We will now move on to the business part of the meeting which be followed by our program on the
restoration of the 1704 Division Patent (see images) and wonderful food from Edna Nitopi and Jean
and Thano Schoppel.
[Treasurer’s Report and Election of Officers followed the Annual Report]
Please click here to read the 2008 Annual Report
President’s Annual Report, November 13, 2009
Good evening, and welcome to the 44th Annual Meeting of the Tappantown Historical Society.
Before I give the annual report, I would like to dedicate this evening to Sally Dewey, who died
yesterday morning. So much of this program had its genesis in Sally’s research, so that it is indeed
a bittersweet moment in which we honor her. Sally has been the heart, soul, and mind of THS for a
generation. She has left her mark as a researcher and writer, a genealogist, a walking tour
coordinator, and thrift shop volunteer; she has been the Historic Society’s secretary, treasurer, vice
president, and the president from 1982- 86; she has been our archivist, an indefatigable board
member, a witty story teller, a wise counselor, and a trusted friend. With her sharp and subtle mind,
Sally was our collective memory. Whenever a question needed answering, a fact checked, a mystery
explained, the solution was, “Ask Sally.” We will not be able to hear her wonderfully detailed
recollections and digressions, but, fortunately for us, she kept meticulous files and records. Even
better, they are almost all handwritten. To read her notes is to have a real sense of the extraordinary
person who recorded and interpreted the minutiae of local history for the future generations.
We will find another time to give Sally fuller tribute. Now we will move on to the meeting at hand.
2009 has been another year of accomplishments. I would like to thank the members of the board
for their unflagging energy, sound advice, and diligence in adhering to THS’s mission of education
about and preservation of the community’s heritage. They are board members Susan Gewirtz, John
Morton, Ginny McCarthy, Joe Napoli, Keith Walker, and officers Jackie Shatz, 1st VP; Lucille Starink,
2ndVP; Chris Gremski, Corresponding Secretary; and Marilyn Schauder, Recording Secretary. I
especially want to thank Treasurer Geri McCauley, who is not continuing in her position. Geri has
been assistant treasurer and treasurer on and off for many years and has done a great job minding
the books and keeping an astute eye on the numbers. Thank you for all the hours and the hard work,
Geri.
Thank you also to former officers and board members Peter Schuerholz, Mary Cardenas, and
Tom LaValle for your staying power and to those who regularly attend our meetings: Don Higgins,
Pat Sullivan, Alan Seebach, Heidi Boucher, and Tom Quinn.
To review our major annual activities: the Awards Dinner, The Plant Sale, the Concert, and
Colonial Day. The Awards Dinner on Feb. 27 was attended by a record number of 89 members and
guests. Achievement Awards went to journalist Suzanne Daycock for her excellent series of articles
on Tappan in 2007 and 2008 in Our Town.
William Beckmann was lauded for the restoration of the Mabie-Hennion House at 67 Main St., which
houses his business, Beckmann Appraisals, and for the installation of a stone wall and perennial
border along Main St. by landscape architect Mary Ellen LeWarn. Mary Cardenas, Director of the
Orangetown Museum and Elizabeth Skrabonja, Curator of the Museum were honored for the
restoration of the Salyer House and specifically for the creation of the permanent exhibit, “A Spy in
Our Midst,” which chronicles the conspiracy between Major John Andre and Benedict Arnold.
Founding member Ginny McCarthy received the Fellowship Award for over forty years of service –
service characterized by her intelligence, wit, and tenacity in maintaining the goals of education and
preservation.
As a run-up to the Plant Sale in May, THS sponsored a Garden Group meeting in late March in the
Manse Barn featuring a talk and demonstration on container gardening by master gardener Lois
Reid. Lois was on hand at the Plant Sale on May 9, and was joined by gardeners Winifred Strakosch
and Joe Napoli, who gave expert advice on planting, mulching, and watering. Stokes Farms provided
annuals, hanging baskets, and vegetable plants. Small trees and shrubs, and perennials from
members’ gardens were also available. Raffle prizes from local businesses and baked goods by
Edna Nitopi also helped to make this one of our most successful plant sales.
The Concerts in the Park, which THS and the Tappan Library had sponsored for several years,
gave way to a weather-proof concert in the Tappan Reformed Church on May 30. John Morton
arranged for us to sponsor the Rockland Camerata in a concert commemorating the Henry Hudson
Quadricentennial with music from 1609 and three centuries of American music.
Perfect weather on September 26 brought people in droves to Tappan for the TRC’s Fall Festival
and for the Historic Society’s 25th Colonial Day. Several inspired changes in logistics and planning
made the day run more smoothly than ever ( even at the beleaguered candle-dipping table, once it
got under way), and we had a small cadre of new volunteers who were crucial in making the day a
success. Thank you, Lucille, for your expert coordination of the complex elements of this major
undertaking.
Two of our enduring programs under Sally Dewey’s stewardship are the Tappan Zee Thrift Shop
in Piermont and the guided walking tours of Tappan. Sally and volunteers Jackie Shatz and Ginny
McCarthy put in hundreds of hours at the Thrift Shop for the benefit of the society. Over three hundred
elementary students and several adult groups toured Tappan under the enthusiastic and
knowledgeable guidance of Janet Galloway, Peter Schuerholz, Thano Schoppel, Keith Walker, and,
here at the DeWint House with Harold and Kathy Jones.
In addition, Ginny, Keith, and Rob Norden of the ‘76 House regaled 4th graders with the story of
Major John Andre on Oct. 2, the anniversary of his hanging. Students were shown where he was
imprisoned in the ‘76 (old Mabie House) House, and then they “walked the walk” to the site of the
hanging on Andre Hill. Please take a look at the thank you notes on display from Ms. O’Brien’s
Fourth Grade class at Cottage Lane.
Board member and architect Keith Walker helps with our preservation efforts by attending the
monthly HABOR meetings to represent our concerns that building plans are followed in accordance
with historic district regulations.
Another way in which we fulfill our educational goal is though the awarding of a $500.00
scholarship to a graduating TZHS student who has shown excellence in American history. This year’
s recipient was Bradley Silverman, who was a member of the TZHS History Honor Society, an editor
of the school newspaper, and a third-place winner in the NY State competition in May.
THS has several works-in-progress: headed by Marilyn Schauder, the effort to restore he
damaged 19th century fence around the Andre Memorial is moving along slowly but thoroughly so
that we can give the County Highway Department a complete recommendation for the restoration of
the memorial.
A survey of Sears homes in Tappan is in its early stages, but eventually, THS hopes to publish an
issue of The Drummer Boy featuring these homes, in the same way that we have documented the
18th and 19th century houses.
The Tappan Library, the Tappan Reformed Church, and THS have adopted the small triangle at
Kings Highway and Greenbush Road, and after the town’s drainage and sidewalk project is finished,
planting will begin in the spring with Joe Napoli and Jack Higgins in charge.
The Archives Committee has its hands full trying to organize the materials we have in storage and
that have been given us by various members. THS now has a formal Collections Policy, and we will
sort thorough the mountain of material in order to make sure it is handled according to archival
standards. Chris Gremski has begun to scan old postcards – a first step in digitizing our collection.
We will also continue to work with the Tappan Library to create a Historical Society reading and
resource area, and to help them in their expansion efforts. Similarly, we will be helping the TRC in its
restoration project, which is just about to begin. Many of you have been concerned about saving the
vulnerable Norway maple near the church. Unfortunately the two projects – the church restoration
and the drainage and sidewalk project – made it impossible to save the tree. Because of our efforts
at having an independent arborist evaluate the tree and make recommendations for both its possible
preservation and eventual replacement, the town has pledged to plant two trees of a significant size
in a less vulnerable area near the church.
Our work on the tree ordinance will resume, and we hope to have a proposal by spring.
We have also sent a letter to the residents and business owners in the center of historic Tappan
encouraging them to return to the tradition of decorating their buildings with natural greens and
placing candle lights in the windows.
We have received a few gifts. When Chase Bank took over Washington Mutual last year and closed
its Oak Tree Road branch in July, their manger arranged that THS be given two works of art; the
paining of Main Street by Jane Toan, which is on the cover of Tappan 300 Years, and also the
engraving of the Capture of Major Andre, which Ginny and Ed McCarthy worked on many years ago.
We have also received Paul Melone’s bequest and will be considering how to use his generous
gift in a way to honor Paul and benefit the community.
We will now move on to the business part of the meeting which be followed by our program on the
restoration of the 1704 Division Patent (see images) and wonderful food from Edna Nitopi and Jean
and Thano Schoppel.
[Treasurer’s Report and Election of Officers followed the Annual Report]
Please click here to read the 2008 Annual Report