Walter Stratton Stone House, 1828, Meeker Hollow, Roxbury

Catskills Folk Connection offers tours of Manhattan Country School’s historic house.

On Saturday May 30 and Sunday June 7 as part of Headwaters History Days, Ginny Scheer, folklorist for Catskills Folk Connection, will offer tours of the Walter Stratton House at 3217 New Kingston Mountain Road, Roxbury, NY, just up hill from the Manhattan Country School Farm.  Tours of the exterior and interior of the house will be offered from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. each day.

One of five historic stone houses in Roxbury, the Stratton house is not unique, but does represent an early and substantial construction by a local business man.  Walter Stratton was the son of a prosperous miller who owned a number of mills on streams closer to the East Branch of the Delaware River.  

Eighty years later John Corbin purchased this vernacular house and its tiny lot, made renovations, and raised his family there.  For decades it was the summer home of his daughter, Lena Corbin, a teacher in Amsterdam, then was sold to the Manhattan Country School by members of a more recent generation of her family.

Ginny Scheer will offer period documents and analysis of the structure and site to interpret how families have lived in this house over the years.  Included in the tour will be a 19^th century loom donated by a Meeker Hollow neighbor, a 1920s cook stove and refrigerator, early wall and floor finishes, a wooden spiral staircase, extensive stonework around the house lot and in the cellar, which features the huge stone foundation of a former fireplace.   

Listen to Catskills Folk Tuesday, May 19, from 7 to 8 pm on WIOX Community Radio, 91.3 FM or streaming at www.wioxradio.org when the topic will be the Walter Stratton Stone House.

Winner of Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenge #5!

Ben Fenton of Fleischmanns is the winner of Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenge #5.  He correctly located the terrific "carpenter Gothic" house in the village of Stamford, New York, called "Stamford Gables B&B."  It is on Main Street, or Route 23, on the right as you drive into the village from South Gilboa, after the connected buildings with the gymnasium and dental offices that were formerly the grocery store.

Stamford Gables B&B in the village of Stamford, NY

The steepness of the gables for which the house is named shows Gothic Revival influence as does the "gingerbread" on the eaves.  In the earlier Gothic Revival the carved or sawn tracery would have looked medieval where on Stamford Gables it is fanciful flowers (see below).  An imported style, prescribed by supposed experts, has morphed into a new version that may be unique or characteristic of this part of the Catskills or may relate to something the builder saw in another village he or she visited.

Look below for the next Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenge.

Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenge #6

Here's the challenge.  Where is this wonderful late 19th century residence?  Can you identify it?  This is just one example of the quality of ordinary (aka vernacular) architecture in the Catskills Region. Our focus does not need to be on the mansions of the rich and famous to find interesting architecture, but rather on the houses built by members of the community.

This house has a number of characteristics of a popular Victorian-era house style called "Queen Anne":  wrap around porch, multi-color trim, stained glass, a "terra cotta" frieze over the porch steps, a corner or bay window, and a multi-faceted roof form (as opposed to some of our earlier challenges that were shaped like a Monopoly hotel).  But this house may carry the name of a style variant because it lacks some Queen Anne elements, especially rounded features (a turret, the shape of the porch) and it lacks shingle siding mixed with its clapboard siding. So the safest style is "Victorian."  Extra points if you determine the proper variant and give your reasons! Remember that for now all challenges were built as residences, most are in villages, and are likely to be on or near the highways I travel most often: Route 28, Route 23, Route 30, and Route 10.  

Notice the elegant leaf motif in the "terra cotta" frieze above the porch steps. Terra cotta is in quotes because I'm not sure that is the actual material on this house, though real terra cotta is often found on Queen Anne houses.

If you correctly identify this house by calling me at 607-326-4206 or e-mailing vscheer@juno.com and describing its location, you will win a prize!  I'll dedicate a song to you on my radio program, Catskills Folk, alternate Tuesdays at 7 pm on WIOX 91.3 FM or on-line at wioxradio.org.  

Don Strausser's Folk Paintings in the Gallery --->

Celebration of the Life of Hilt Kelly

Dancers celebrate the life of Hilt Kelly to the music of  a joint band consisting of John Jacobson and the Tremperskill Boys, Earl and Mimi Pardini, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Laura Kortright, and more musicians below.
 

On Sunday, March 22, at the Halcott Grange in Halcott Center, New York, approximately 70 people gathered in memory of Hilt Kelly, the legendary fiddler and square dance caller who died on March 3.   Kelly's daughter and son, Linda Armour and Lynn Kelly, spearheaded the celebration, complete with displays of  Kelly memorabilia.  Tom and Lanore Miller organized the pot luck luncheon and Pete and Nancy Ballard arranged for the hall.  

 

Musicians and dancers from around the Catskills gathered to reminisce and to offer the best memorial possible for Hilt: lots of good music and dancing.  Along with John Jacobson, Hilt's "Sidekicks", Don Irwin and Don Strausser, called a couple of dances.  One highlight of the day was when Hilt and Stella's daughter Linda stepped forward and called a square dance as if she had been calling them for years.  Another highlight was the sight of son Lynn dancing the Tennessee Waltz with his mother, Stella.  

 

Ira McIntosh, Pete Helverson, Earl Pardini, Dane Scudder and others provided music during lunch.
 



Paul Rosenberg adds a story about Hilt to the family story book.
 

Everyone agreed it was a wonderful celebration of Hilt's life that helped us each cope with how much we miss him.  A suggestion was made to Catskills Folk Connection that the celebration should become an annual event.  We'll be very pleased to make sure that happens.

 

Ginny



 

 

 

The Catskill Region Loses Legendary Fiddler and Square Dance Caller

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Hilt Kelly, the Catskills' own traditional fiddler and square dance caller, on the evening of Tuesday, March 3, after a long illness.  There will be many memorial tributes, among them the square dance on March 22, see below, which is being re-purposed as a celebration of Hilt's life to which everyone is invited.   The celebration, including a pot luck luncheon , will begin at 11 a.m. at the Halcott Grange, and at 1 p.m. the square dance will begin. Bring your memories, your recollections, and photos to share with Hilt and Stella's friends and family, then stay for the dance.  The Watershed Post is collecting recollections and comments at www.watershedpost.com. Other gatherings may be planned and will be announced here.

Ginny

Square Dance March 22 in Halcott Center

2013 Square Dance Master's Class Pine Hill Community Center

Once again the Halcott Grange, 264 County Route 3 in Halcott Center 12430, will be the site of an old-time square dance, featuring Hilt Kelly's protégé John Jacobson and his band the Tremperskill Boys. Band members are John Jacobson on fiddle, Chris Carey playing banjo, Amy Lieberman on bass, Sheila Addison on guitar, and Ginny Scheer playing flute.

Square dances and waltzes will be featured including many from the Kelly repertoire. The dance will take place from 1 pm to 4 pm on Sunday afternoon, March 22.  Admission is $7.00 per adult (children 12 and under are free) and there will be refreshments offered for sale.

This is a dance for beginners and for experienced dancers. All dances will be taught.  See you at the Halcott Grange!