Category: Uncategorized
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Peacock Feathers and The Scottish Play: Bad Luck Superstitions and Their Historical Origins
In the words of Michael Scott: “I’m not superstitious but I am a little stitious.” While October is the time when the veil between our world and the next is at its thinnest, we find ourselves doing certain things all year round to avoid any bad luck from that realm. We cross our fingers…
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From Enemy to Neighbor: British and German Soldiers who stayed in America
Many British and German soldiers stayed in America when the Revolutionary War was over. Some deserted from their regiments to take up a life in America or, in the case of officers, resigned their commissions to stay in the new United States. The prospect of land or relationships with women were too strong a…
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A History of Haunting: Ghost Stories Throughout History
As the months turn colder and Halloween approaches, we stay inside more often and look for anything that might give us a little fright. So, ghost stories seem like a perfect fit. But before you curl up to read The Shining for the 100th time, let’s take a look at the history of the…
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The Livingston Sugar House Prison
In 1754 the Livingston\’s of Livingston Manor had a sugar house constructed in New York City to refine sugar cane shipped from their plantations in the Caribbean. The building was stone and stood six stories tall although the floors were very low. It stood on Crown Street, now Liberty Street. The Livingston Sugar House…
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What Ever Happened to Meriwether Lewis?
On April 30, 1803 Robert Livingston, with a little help from James Monroe, signed what was The French copy of the Louisiana Purchase possibly the greatest land deal in history. For a mere 15 million dollars, much of which was not in the form of cash payments but in forgiveness of French debts to American,…
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The Livingston Lions
They are one of the most identifiable and iconic images of Clermont. Thousands of school children have posed with them, and maybe heard the legend of how they take turns guarding the house. Hundreds of couples have had engagement or wedding photos taken with them looming in the back ground. I am of course talking…
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"perhaps true wisdom would distinguish happiness and riches" Louis Otto
Nancy Shippen Anne Hume Shippen, better known as Nancy, was all but forced by her father to marry Henry Beekman Livingston because of Livingston’s wealth and prestige. Prior to that marriage though she was head over heels for a young member of the French Legation to America, Louis-Guillaume Otto.…
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The Court Martial Of Henry Beekman Livingston: The Legal Action That Helped Win The Battle of Saratoga
On March 23, 1777 a body of British soldiers were brought out of New York City on transports, sailed up the Hudson River and landed at Peekskill. There they burned store houses full of supplies and barracks where American soldiers were supposed to sleep.<!–[if supportFields]> CITATION Was77 \\l 1033 <![endif]–> (Washington 1777)<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–> Henry Beekman…
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Margaret Beekman Livingston and the Essential Workers Needed To Rebuild Clermont
Margaret Beekman Livingston, not a woman to be denied Margaret Beekman Livingston spent the winter following the destruction of her house in a house owned by her cousin, Robert Livingston, the Third Lord of Livingston Manor. What she really wanted though was to be back in her own house. In the spring of 1778, she…
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UnderWhere 1905
In this video Educator Kjirsten Gustavson shows all the layers that went under a woman\’s dress in 1905 to create the ideal silhouette. This is the sort of outfit that Alice Livingston would have worn when she was engaged to John Henry Livingston.
Clermont State Historic Site 