My niece who is very interested in our genealogy has helped me with info regarding the years I lived in Ossining since she now lives there. I have been forwarding her all the great emails on its history. She sent me the following. I would appreciate any help you might be able to give. "I've done a bit of research into the history of Ossining, mostly looking for history regarding this house. At one time the house I live in was "the manor house" of most of the surrounding property. After the Mead family had it built and lived here a while, A.L. Myers bought the house (fine furniture, stores all over NY), lived here through the late 40's, and then unfortunately was bought and sold numerous times, fell into disrepair, and ending up as a boarding house. It is (was) quite a beautiful old house, and I have been trying to find photos of at least the exterior for quite some time. From what is left here I know that it had a double story wrap around porch, the downstair apartment is mostly original, Eastlake light fixtures, inlaid hardwood (oak) floors, plaster crown moldings, etc. Original chandeliers in my apartment as well as downstairs (incredibly gaudy, I love them!!), Our ceilings are 12 feet high, but it is almost impossible to tell where some rooms began or ended, in my kitchen there is half of the old gaslight fixture, so I know that wall shouldn't be there, (yes, there are gaslight fixtures all over the place, but the chandeliers are electric, and from the late 1800's, as are the fixtures downstairs, we took them apart, was a little scary, but the electrician assured us they were safe, and yes, they work). Mostly original windows, throughout, but downstairs they are floor to ceiling and probably 5 feet wide! (I'd hate to see their utility bill, lol). In the yard I've spent the 5 years that I've lived here digging up plants that just show up willy-nilly all over the place, by now they have to number at least a thousand. I recently met someone that apparently is friends a relative of the Myers family that lived here, and am hoping they have family photos of the house, either inside or out. Anyway, I could (obviously) go on forever, but if, in your email travels, anyone knows anything, I would love to find out more. " "The last Brandreth was still living in Ossining about 10 years ago, I'm not sure if she is still there, or with us. The factory closed in 1979, and there is a Brandreth Street here. And the Shattumuc Yacht Club membership circa 1890 was great, most of those people have street names here, but Mr. William Clinton Mead was the original builder of the house I now live in (building began 1888, completed 1890), was originally called "The Lilacs", and was on, of all things, Mead Place. Mead Place is now just a path through Nelson Park, and is no longer called Mead Place. " Mklaffky@columbus.rr.com

Vunderbar! I love to hear of those who undertake this kind of work! ----and enjoy! My house was ready to be bulldozed when I got it. The barn was gone too. But we have spent 30 enjoyable years discovering, preserving, and restoring this old Adirondack farm. Our children grew up in the middle of it. We are far from finished. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Madelyn Klaffy" <mklaffky@columbus.rr.com> To: "NYWestch" <NYWestch-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 04, 2007 3:04 PM Subject: [NYWESTCH] "The Lilacs"-Mead Family home in 1890 > My niece who is very interested in our genealogy has helped me with info > regarding the years I lived in Ossining since she now lives there. I > have > been forwarding her all the great emails on its history. She sent me the > following. I would appreciate any help you might be able to give. > > > > "I've done a bit of research into the history of Ossining, mostly looking > for history regarding this house. At one time the house I live in was > "the > manor house" of most of the surrounding property. After the Mead family > had > it built and lived here a while, A.L. Myers bought the house (fine > furniture, stores all over NY), lived here through the late 40's, and > then > unfortunately was bought and sold numerous times, fell into disrepair, and > ending up as a boarding house. It is (was) quite a beautiful old house, > and > I have been trying to find photos of at least the exterior for quite some > time. From what is left here I know that it had a double story wrap > around > porch, the downstair apartment is mostly original, Eastlake light > fixtures, > inlaid hardwood (oak) floors, plaster crown moldings, etc. Original > chandeliers in my apartment as well as downstairs (incredibly gaudy, I > love > them!!), Our ceilings are 12 feet high, but it is almost impossible to > tell > where some rooms began or ended, in my kitchen there is half of the old > gaslight fixture, so I know that wall shouldn't be there, (yes, there are > gaslight fixtures all over the place, but the chandeliers are electric, > and > from the late 1800's, as are the fixtures downstairs, we took them apart, > was a little scary, but the electrician assured us they were safe, and > yes, > they work). Mostly original windows, throughout, but downstairs they are > floor to ceiling and probably 5 feet wide! (I'd hate to see their utility > bill, lol). In the yard I've spent the 5 years that I've lived here > digging > up plants that just show up willy-nilly all over the place, by now they > have > to number at least a thousand. I recently met someone that apparently is > friends a relative of the Myers family that lived here, and am hoping they > have family photos of the house, either inside or out. Anyway, I could > (obviously) go on forever, but if, in your email travels, anyone knows > anything, I would love to find out more. " > > > > "The last Brandreth was still living in Ossining about 10 years ago, I'm > not > sure if she is still there, or with us. The factory closed in 1979, and > there is a Brandreth Street here. And the Shattumuc Yacht Club membership > circa 1890 was great, most of those people have street names here, but Mr. > William Clinton Mead was the original builder of the house I now live in > (building began 1888, completed 1890), was originally called "The Lilacs", > and was on, of all things, Mead Place. Mead Place is now just a path > through Nelson Park, and is no longer called Mead Place. " > > > > Mklaffky@columbus.rr.com > > *************************************** > Have you checked out the Westchester County GenWeb site yet? > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nywestch/ > *************************************** > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NYWESTCH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Madelyn, Good stuff and thanx for the Brandreth up-date. I'm an old carpenter/woodworker and actually did a good deal of historic restoration work in Ossining, back in the 80's. Of course I had no interest in my genealogy at the time, but was always fascinated with the history of the old buildings. Oh well, I'll get back there some day with a little differant eye. Good luck to your niece and the Lilacs. Charles ----- Original Message ----- From: "Madelyn Klaffy" <mklaffky@columbus.rr.com> To: "NYWestch" <NYWestch-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 04, 2007 3:04 PM Subject: [NYWESTCH] "The Lilacs"-Mead Family home in 1890 > My niece who is very interested in our genealogy has helped me with info > regarding the years I lived in Ossining since she now lives there. I > have > been forwarding her all the great emails on its history. She sent me the > following. I would appreciate any help you might be able to give. > > > > "I've done a bit of research into the history of Ossining, mostly looking > for history regarding this house. At one time the house I live in was > "the > manor house" of most of the surrounding property. After the Mead family > had > it built and lived here a while, A.L. Myers bought the house (fine > furniture, stores all over NY), lived here through the late 40's, and > then > unfortunately was bought and sold numerous times, fell into disrepair, and > ending up as a boarding house. It is (was) quite a beautiful old house, > and > I have been trying to find photos of at least the exterior for quite some > time. From what is left here I know that it had a double story wrap > around > porch, the downstair apartment is mostly original, Eastlake light > fixtures, > inlaid hardwood (oak) floors, plaster crown moldings, etc. Original > chandeliers in my apartment as well as downstairs (incredibly gaudy, I > love > them!!), Our ceilings are 12 feet high, but it is almost impossible to > tell > where some rooms began or ended, in my kitchen there is half of the old > gaslight fixture, so I know that wall shouldn't be there, (yes, there are > gaslight fixtures all over the place, but the chandeliers are electric, > and > from the late 1800's, as are the fixtures downstairs, we took them apart, > was a little scary, but the electrician assured us they were safe, and > yes, > they work). Mostly original windows, throughout, but downstairs they are > floor to ceiling and probably 5 feet wide! (I'd hate to see their utility > bill, lol). In the yard I've spent the 5 years that I've lived here > digging > up plants that just show up willy-nilly all over the place, by now they > have > to number at least a thousand. I recently met someone that apparently is > friends a relative of the Myers family that lived here, and am hoping they > have family photos of the house, either inside or out. Anyway, I could > (obviously) go on forever, but if, in your email travels, anyone knows > anything, I would love to find out more. " > > > > "The last Brandreth was still living in Ossining about 10 years ago, I'm > not > sure if she is still there, or with us. The factory closed in 1979, and > there is a Brandreth Street here. And the Shattumuc Yacht Club membership > circa 1890 was great, most of those people have street names here, but Mr. > William Clinton Mead was the original builder of the house I now live in > (building began 1888, completed 1890), was originally called "The Lilacs", > and was on, of all things, Mead Place. Mead Place is now just a path > through Nelson Park, and is no longer called Mead Place. " > > > > Mklaffky@columbus.rr.com > > *************************************** > Have you checked out the Westchester County GenWeb site yet? > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nywestch/ > *************************************** > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NYWESTCH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >