Author: clermontstatehistoricsite
-
Bob\'s Folly Part 2: Making it Work
Why then was Robert Fulton successful where so many others had failed? The answer might well be that Fulton had the great fortune of meeting and partnering with Robert R. Livingston. A descendant of Hudson Valley landed gentry and a product of the Enlightenment, Livingston dedicated over half his life to civil service. He served…
-
Bobs\' Folly, Part 1: Building Up Steam
Former Clermont Curator Travis Bowman explains the beginnings of the Livingston Fulton steamboat… Jonathan Hulls, the Marquis Claude de Jouffroy, William Henry, James Rumsey, John Fitch, John Stevens, Samuel Morey, Oliver Evans, Nicholas Roosevelt, Robert R. Livingston, William Symington, any of these men probably could lay claim to inventing the steamboat. Yet they are little…
-
Trials at Home: The Sorrowful Tale of Nacy Shippen, part 7
As if the strain of being separated from her child were not enough, Nancy was juggling other major difficulties in the winter of 1783-4. Three additional stresses were taking their emotional toll: she had a sick mother, estranged husband, and old flame to worry about. Nancy\’s mother had been in fragile health since before Christmas,…
-
The Steamboat Belle: Harriet Livingston Fulton
The romantic engagement of Harriet Livingston and Robert Fulton has become the fairy tale part of the steamboat story. But the marriage itself was nothing like a fairy tale, and it ended on a sad note for her children. In August of 1807, Robert Fulton made his storied trip up the North River on his…
-
Another Peek at Arryl house
When john Henry Livingston reaquired Arryl house in 1906, it was a very special day for him. Arryl house had fallen into disrepair since his father passed away in 1895. But now the Livingston mansions, Clermont and New Clermont (the old name for Arryl house), were reunited under one ownership. Alice snapped bunches of pictures…
-
Poor Palatines
I\’ve recently been bombarded with interest in the Palatines recently so I\’ll see what I can do to add to the story… The tricky thing about writing about Palatines at Clermont is that technically, they weren\’t really at Clermont at all. The Palatine settlement was made on Livingston Manor in 1711–before Robert \”the Builder\” ever…
-
Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding Clermont in the Revolutionary War
The burning and subsequent rebuilding of Clermont is a pivotal moment in the site\’s history and earned Margaret Beekman Livingston the love of every successive generation. Building a house is never simple though, especially not in the middle of a war… In October of 1777, Margaret Beekman Livingston was facing a second dismal winter at…
-
The Chancellor\'s "Ride"
Reading historic documents can involve a little bit of detective work. The writers and receivers were accustomed to terms and slang that have fallen out of use today, and looking those up can enhance the meaning–even when it seems a trivial side trip. This was the case when I was perusing fifty years of Livingston…
-
SilverWhere?: Place Settings in History
Forks and knives and spoons–oh my!! From the first time I saw the movie \”Pretty Woman,\” I knew that a formally-set table was something intimidating. You use what, when? In the movie, there\’s something in there about counting tines on the forks, and then the tutor in the scene breaks down and advises Julia Roberts…
-
The Separation: The Sorrowful Tale of Nancy Shippen, part 6
The morning dawned when Nancy Shippen Livingston was to leave with her daughter for Clermont. On July 7, 1783 she and her mother shared a good cry before she could bring herself to dress and ride out. Her parents and brother accompanied the traveling party a little ways before the time came at last to…
Clermont State Historic Site 