Willow Hall added to New Jersey Register

The Passaic River Coalition is pleased to announce that Willow Hall has just been added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Sites. This is an important event for the house because the listing provides further legal protection from future destruction or severe alteration, and will make us eligible for more grants.

Many people felt that adding Willow Hall to the Register was a no brainer, as one reviewer remarked, "What took you so long?" Since the house had always been privately owned, previous owners were never interested in having the house designated as a historic site.

Now that the site is on the State Register, is will be added to the Federal register in about 4 months.

A special thanks to Holt-Morgan-Russell Architects for completing our application and to Marge Brady and Myra Bowie-McCready for attending the application hearing to show their support.

PS- Sorry that it has been two months since the last blog post. It has been rather busy around the office lately but we hope to start posting regularly again soon.

Meet Brownie

There was quite a bit of lunchtime excitement today when Katie (the tall intern) found a bat in a plastic display box on top of the refrigerator.


After putting a cover on the top of the box, snapping some photos, and tapping the box to see if the bat was still alive we moved the box out of the house.


As we started relocating the box, it was clear Brownie (named by Alicja the other intern) was definitely alive. We put the box on its side under one of the hemlock trees in the back yard. Brownie perked up pretty quickly and crawled out of the box and started climbing up the tree. And that is where we left our new friend, who will hopefully get some sleep before sunset and not find his (or her) way back into Willow Hall.


We think Brownie is a Little Brown Bat and are trying to figure out how it got into the house. In the meanwhile we will also be disinfecting the kitchen even though Brownie seemed healthy.

Do you have a bat story? Share it with us in the comment section!

Little Steps

Our summer interns have "greened" Willow Hall a little bit more by bringing in hand towels for our kitchen and bathrooms. Before we had been using paper towels. To be clean the staff take turns bring the towels home to be washed once a week. Reducing our paper towel usage means saving trees, the water and energy used to make and ship the product, and less garbage in landfills. (Though yes, we could probably compost the paper towels instead.)

And two of our interns carpool to work to save gas and the small paychecks we give them. Also, if you hire environmental students, give us a call, we have two awesome college graduates looking for full time jobs at the end of the summer!

A New Chandlier!

As our regular readers might recall, we lost a beautiful chandelier in the Willow Bough Foyer this past February. And by lost, we mean it fell off the ceiling, broke into a lot of small pieces, and left a dent in the tile floor. Click here for the original posting. After some consultation, we determined that it was not feasible to repair the broken chandelier.

But we are pleased to announce that we have finally replaced it. The new chandelier is a Victorian period hexagonal hanging lamp found by House Manager Joe and our friends the Brady's at an antiques auction. The photo below is of the lamp in the condition we bought it in.


Unfortunately, one of the lamp's panels had been replaced and didn't match the rest. Instead of trying to replace the odd panel, we opted to swap out all of them. We brought the lamp to Morristown House of Glass who replaced the panels with clear and textured panes. As you can see below, the refurbished lamp looks great!


As a side note, if you, or someone you know, has an interest in broken chandelier parts or dangly crystal things give us a call. The previous chandelier is currently sitting in a box in the attic, and would love to be repurposed into something new.

Sea Turtles

Today we received a request from a fellow non-profit, Defenders of Wildlife, to help save loggerhead sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico. Defenders of Wildlife is working to increase protections for these sea turtles by listing them as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Click here to take action now.

Loggerhead sea turtles were in trouble before the Gulf oil spill disaster. The number of female loggerheads nesting on Florida beaches – one of the most important habitats for the species – has declined by 50 percent in the past decade. Scientists and government officials have sounded the alarm about what this could mean for the future of the ancient sea mariners. The National Marine Fisheries Service is now proposing to upgrade protection for loggerheads from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

These turtles need our help even more now. The world’s second-largest loggerhead nesting area is on the beaches of the southeastern United States, the vast majority of which includes Florida’s central Atlantic beaches.

This area is expected to be threatened by the horrific oil slick, depending on how much of the slick gets picked up by the Loop Current -- a powerful ocean current that could bring the slick around the southern reaches of the state, through the sensitive coral reef and mangrove areas of the Everglades and the Keys, and then into the Gulf Stream and up the east coast of Florida.

The spill could not have happened at a worse time: loggerheads and other sea turtles -- as well as many shorebirds -- are in the peak of their nesting seasons right now.

Oil is extremely toxic to loggerheads and other species. Exposure can cause skin loss, poisoning, drowning and death… which is exactly why we need every available tool to help save the lives of individual loggerheads and save this species from extinction.

Wildlife

If you’ve been following this blog, at some point you might have wondered at some point, what’s with all the animals? Isn’t this a river organization? And isn’t this blog supposed to be about a historic house? Are they just trying to woo me with cute animal pictures?


Well, on a really simple level, we do think it is kind of fun to follow and photograph all of the creatures who live around our home. And we hope you enjoy discovering along with us.

But beyond that, they prove an important point (or two). If twenty condominiums had been built on this property, between the construction process and the finished project, many (or most of) the animals we’ve documented would have lost their habitat. Sure, there’s a park next door, but you can only fit so many turtle or chickadee nests in one place. Members of many species (such as owls and hawks) don’t like to live too close together because they compete for limited resources.

Willow Hall also demonstrates that a surprising number of species can be found in suburban habitats. A research project conducted by two interns last summer found 17 bird species, 4 amphibians, 2 reptiles and 6 mammals live or pass through our property. Despite all that had been written about Willow Hall, no one had any idea of this before.

We think that’s pretty impressive for living on the fringe of an urban area such as Morristown. And there are probably more creatures living with us that we haven’t found yet. This summer we would like to begin the process of applying for a Wildlife Habitat Certification for Willow Hall through the National Wildlife Federation. (We’ll have more on that in another post.)

Protecting wildlife habitat is also important to the Passaic River Coalition for a few reasons. Many species, especially amphibians, turtles, and fish, can give us clues about the quality of water in streams, rivers, and wetlands. Habitat that’s healthy for animals is usually healthy for people as well. And protecting predator species also helps keeps other less desirable populations in check. It is much better for our waterways to let birds and bats control the mosquito population than to drain wetlands or douse them with pesticides.

And to us, the world is a richer place because of all the other creatures who share it with us.


A snapping turtle sunbathing on the lawn this morning

The 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites in New Jersey

Preservation New Jersey has released its 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites in New Jersey for 2010. Willow Hall used to be on this list before we bought it. Historic site funding from the Garden State Trust Fund ballot measure passed in November plays an important role in preserving and restoring sites like these all over the state.

Chickadees

We didn't get any blue birds in our three blue bird nest boxes at Willow Hall this year. (They don't seem to have moved into the nest box at Highlands Meadow either.) But we did get a pair of chickadees who moved into the box closest to the house. It seems their young have just hatched since the parent's activity has picked up significantly. They've been flying in and out of the box all day, making it much easier to take this photo through the window.

Initially, female chickadees spend most of their time incubating the eggs while the male bring food. But once the eggs hatch, both parents take turns feeding the young who should fledge in 14 to 18 days. Chickadees are omnivorous, eating insects, seeds, and berries.

Morristown Festival Earth

"Hi there! Want to learn two new big words?"
"No."
"Do you want to learn about clean water and pollution?
"No."
"Would you like to win a cool button about groundwater?"
"No."
"There's really nothing interesting at this table for you then, is there?"
"Yeah."

With the exception of this one tough customer, we had a great day at the Morristown Festival Earth this past Saturday. There was great weather and we met a lot of friendly people who were interested in protecting the environment. Hopefully a few kids also walked away knowing the difference between pervious and impervious landscapes. There's a photo of our demonstration below.


Joe, Laurie (Board Members) and Matt (Land Trust Director) running our table in the afternoon.

Thanks to Sustainable Morristown for putting on a great day!

Morristown Festival Earth - Saturday May 22!

Come say hello at the Morristown Festival Earth tomorrow (Saturday May 22) from 11am to 6pm on the Morristown Green. The event should be a lot of fun!

Willow Hall . . . Nursery?

Last Friday Passaic River Coalition staff met a new resident at Willow Hall. Our newest tenant is a female painted turtle who decided that the dirt driveway to the garage in the backyard would be a fine place to lay her eggs.


We were a bit surprised to find a turtle laying eggs so far from the lake and up quite a large hill. But if she was bothered by us, she didn't show it. We watched her for over half an hour, bobbing her head in and out of the shell and using her feet to push dirt back into the hole she had dug (you can see the little dirt mound in the photo below). While we weren't able to count, we have read that painted turtles can lay between three and twenty eggs, depending on the size of the mother.


She won't actually be a permanent resident of our backyard; once the eggs are laid painted turtles leave the nest alone and go about their business of being turtles. The eggs will incubate 65-80 days and then they'll hatch. Though some of the life histories we read said that in some parts of the country, the turtles will actually stay underground all winter and then emerge in the spring. That's quite a wait to see if anyone will hatch. Too bad we can't charge for babysitting.

We will be keeping an eye on the area, it's currently marked with a bale of straw so no one is driving over it.

Out and about

The Passaic River Coalition had a great time this weekend at the Millburn Green Challenge at the Hartshorn Arboretum. We teamed up with the Americorps Watershed Ambassadors and American Standard Plumbing to invite visitors to pledge to conserve water in and outside their homes. At our table, Allyson taught visitors the difference between pervious and impervious surfaces and how they can improve their properties to "Contain Your Rain!".

We'll be out again this Saturday, May 22, at Morristown's Festival Earth from 11am to 6pm on the Morristown Green. The event should be a lot of fun so come say hello!

Happy Save the Frogs Day!

At the Passaic River Coalition we're doing our part to help Save the Frogs (see yesterday's post to learn about Save the Frogs Day). When our Land Trust preserves undeveloped land along rivers and in wetlands, we're also preserving wildlife habitat. Below is an American Toad found on our recently preserved Decker Tract in Bloomingdale.


Despite its suburban location, Willow Hall actually has quite a few amphibious residents because of its proximity to Speedwell Lake. Last summer our interns found American Toads (photo below), Pickerel Frogs, and Southern Leopard Frogs. At the next Board meeting, we'll be discussing adopting landscaping policies that will protect our resident frogs and toads.


The photo below of frog eggs was taken at the Stanford Tract in West Milford, a 200+ acre property we are working to preserve. You can help the Passaic River Coalition save the frogs, toads, and many other wild creatures by making a donation to our Land Trust. While state and county funds pay for the land itself, we rely on funding from donors to cover ancillary costs such as surveys and appraisals. Will you help Save a Frog today?

Photo Credits: Kelly Halloran, Greg Stavish, and Dana Skwirut. Also, a special thanks to New Jersey Conservation Foundation for telling us about Save the Frogs Day!

Tomorrow is Save the Frogs Day!

Frogs are disappearing!

It’s a little-known fact that nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species are threatened with extinction. Faced with environmental problems such as pollution, infectious diseases, habitat loss, invasive species, climate change, and over-harvesting, frog populations will continue to decline, causing drastic repercussions for the planet’s ecosystems and human population. . . Unless we do something to help the amphibians!

Frogs are important because they are:
- an integral part of the food web
- bioindicators of pollution in the environment
- consumers of ticks, mosquitoes, and other "pests"

You can help:
- Don't use pesticides
- Build a frog pond in your backyard
- Conserve water
- Eat locally grown, organic food

Suggestion for wildlife lovers: Another way you can help save the frogs is to create a Certified Wildlife Habitat. By providing food, water, cover and a place for wildlife to raise their young--and by incorporating sustainable gardening practices--you not only help wildlife, but you also qualify to apply for certification! Visit the Garden for Wildlife site to learn more!

Get Ready to Save the Frogs!

Willow Hall Spring Cleaning Day!

Thanks to everyone who made our Spring Cleaning Day a success. The kitchen in the cottage smells a lot nicer, the front patio looks a lot cleaner, and the fallen pine in the back is almost all gone.

Jim works on cutting our fallen pine into manageable pieces.

Joe arrives with reinforcements.

Kristin sweeps off the front patio.

Marge and Kristin clean the kitchen area of the cottage, which we hope to find a tenant for soon.

Neil load limbs into Jim's trunk while daughter Cambria supervises.

A special thanks to Faith for being our official photographer for the day!

Thinking about water efficiency at Willow Hall

We’ll be the first to tell you that “going green” can take some time. It’s a process where we adjust our lifestyles (or office-style in our case) to be more considerate of the environment. It’s also something which might never be finished as our understanding of the environment continues to grow and new technology becomes affordable.

Take our water usage at Willow Hall for example. There are four bathrooms in Willow Hall. When we were almost ready to move in last summer, our plumber informed us that two of the four toilets were broken beyond repair. While this posed a bit of a problem for the staff, it provided an excellent opportunity to install more efficient equipment in the two bathrooms.

The apartment toilet is in proper working order (for now) so we’ve decided to hold off on replacing it. The downstairs toilet is another story (see the photo below). Besides that obvious aesthetic issue that the toilet, sink, and bathtub are black and never look clean, the toilet tank is huge and uses at least 5 gallons per flush. (The current standard for toilets is 1.6 gallons per flush and high efficiency toilets use 1.28 gallons or less.)


Needless to say, as an organization that works to protect water supplies, we’re not particularly proud of that toilet. But there are plans to replace it with a more efficient toilet when we get funding to make the whole bathroom ADA-compliant.

In the future we would also like to upgrade our faucets with more efficient models as well. Like we said, it’s a process.

Efficiency is an important component of reducing our water usage. There are some behaviors we can’t stop doing, such as washing our hands or flushing the toilet (unless you have a composting toilet). But we can minimize the impact of those behaviors by using efficient fixtures that let you do the same thing with less water. Though it’s important to note that even with efficient fixtures, 30 minute showers are still a waste of water.

Thinking about Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day this week (April 22) we’ll be highlighting some of the ways we at the PRC are trying to practice running an environmentally friendly office here at Willow Hall.

The official description for our preservation of Willow Hall is an adaptive re-use project. This means that we are preserving a historic site by using for a new purpose. In this case, we took a residential home and now use it as office space while still maintaining its historic integrity.

This type of project represents a marriage of historic preservation and sustainability. Demolishing a building that was in fine working order to just build a new one in its place would have been a tremendous waste of resources. By working with what already exists, we conserve natural resources and protect a piece of our heritage.

Green Beans

Apparently, green beans are self pollinating. Which is very good news since Allyson planted the green beans seeds far too early and a few days ago they started blossoming in our greenhouse/bathroom. It's a good thing the frost season should be done soon.

Baby green beans

In other horticultural news, Susan's Hibiscus is blooming again while she is not here.

We're looking for a few good interns!

Summer at the Passaic River Coalition means intern season. This summer we would like to have four college or recent graduate intern with us. The intern descriptions are available on our website. The summer internship is a 10-week full time position with a $2,500 stipend. Interested students should contact Matt Polsky at, mattpolsky@passaicriver.org.

An Interview with Ella Filippone

Click here to read an interview with Ella Filippone, Executive Director of the Passaic River Coalition.

Willow Hall needs a riding lawn mower!

Now that spring is here, the grass here at Willow Hall (all three acres of it) is starting to grow again. We're looking for a riding lawnmower for our future caretaker to use to maintain the lawn. Since we're operating on a really tight budget and most foundations don't seem to give out grants for lawn mowers, it would be really great if someone could donate a new or gently used lawn mower to us.

The donation is tax-deductible. If you or someone you know might be looking to get rid of a riding mower, call our office at: (973) 532-9830 to talk to Allyson or Susan. Thanks for your help!

First signs of spring at Willow Hall

Daffodils beside the cottage.

Snow drops popped up all over the property.

Nor'easter Casualty at Willow Hall

We came to work after the weekend rains on Monday to find we had lost one of the property's large white pines. Well, it was really half of a white pine. The tree's other fork is still standing just fine. Fortunately it didn't land on anything else in the yard.

How does your garden grow . . .

In the bathroom?

In anticipation of spring, last week the PRC staff has started some vegetable seedlings in the giant second floor bathroom.



Our plantings include: carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, squash, string beans, and tomatoes. You may be wondering where these vegetables will be going once they outgrow their little containers. Well, we're not really sure yet. But rest assured, wherever our gardens grows, it will be surrounded by a very large deer fence.

Sno-willow Hall

Sorry for the week without posts. Several snow days have thrown a wrench in the office routine. Hopefully that will be it for snow days this season!

What I love about Willow Hall . . . (4)

There is always something new to learn about Willow Hall. The house is full of surprises, though some are the unwanted kind. I love the incredible craftsmanship that went into building the house. The attention to detail and the amount of details throughout the house are astounding. I also think I picked the best office with the most sunshine. - - Allyson, Environmental Specialist & Outreach Coordinator

What I love about Willow Hall . . . (3)

I love sitting at my computer in my spacious, sunny offices that has two huge windows. The windows are four feet by six feet. I see the beautiful oak, maple, and spruce trees from my desk chair. When I stand up, I can watch the seasonal changes at Speedwell Lake. Our huge yard is quiet and litter free unlike our last office where the trash just blew in from the highway. And the space is warm compared to my house and the ski barn I visit weekly. When I want to go out for a walk, our property offers many quiet nooks and new places to explore. - - Susan, Development Director

What I love about Willow Hall . . . (2)

The view from the rear of the house overlooking the lawn, trees, and Speedwell Lake is fantastic. I also like how with help from a lot of people, we were able to preserve it all. - - Matt, Land Trust Director

Willow Hall has become our home. After 40 years, it feels very satisfying to know that the Passaic River Coalition finally has a permanent place to live. And it is a beautiful place with a character and history all its own. - - Ella Filippone, Executive Director

What I love about Willow Hall . . .

Watching the wildlife wandering through the property. Especially the deer and squirrels, they walk right by my window. - - Kate, Administrative Assistant

I love the natural setting, that Willow Hall is surrounded at least on three sides by greenery and even a small lake. Because of its surroundings Willow Hall provides foods and homes for many forms of flora and fauna. Even the name 'Willow Hall' sounds inviting, soft, and graceful. The building is a perfect setting for an organization whose goal is helping to preserve a very important element of nature: water. - - Faith, Local Volunteer

Grow it Green Morristown Event

Grow it Green Morristown is holding an information session and volunteer night on February 18, at 7pm in Morristown Town Hall (200 South St. Senior Center, 3rd Floor). Check them out!

Will you be our Valentine?

There’s a lot to love about our new headquarters, Willow Hall – it’s got history, architecture, and nature all in one beautiful six acre package. We know many people in Morristown loved Willow Hall enough to help preserve it.

We need your help to continue preparing Willow Hall to be open to public on a monthly schedule. If you love Willow Hall and Morristown history, will you be our Valentine by making a donation to the Passaic River Coalition for Willow Hall? Your financial support will help us continue restoring Willow Hall, do routine maintenance, and create an educational program for visitors.

If you make a donation the week of February 14, we’ll send you, or another special Valentine, a Willow Hall Valentine themed postcard. You can mail a donation to: Passaic River Coalition, 330 Speedwell Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960. Please make checks out to: Passaic River Coalition, Memo: Willow Hall. You can also donate online using the "Donate" button on the right side of this blog.

Thanks for your support!


This is a 1850 Valentine. Esther Howland created the first mass-produced embossed paper lace Valentine in 1947 in Worcester, Massachusetts. (Wikipedia) Our Valentine won't be quite so fancy.

Happy Ground Hog Day?

Dear Punxatawney Phil,
I don't know what you and you crazy top hat wearing followers over in Pennsylvania are talking about. Here at Willow Hall in Morristown, IT WAS CLOUDY! I didn't see my shadow, therefore, spring should be on its way. At least that's what the Passaic River Coalition staff, with their temperamental boiler, are hoping.
Respectfully,
The Willow Hall Ground Hog

PS: I wish I had a cool name like Pauxatawney Phil or Staten Island Chuck. So submit your ideas for naming the Willow Hall Ground Hog!

Gravity

Late last week one of our beautiful chandeliers lost a fight against gravity. We’re not sure exactly what happened since the fall happened some time between closing and opening the office. We’re all very upset since this particular chandelier had been a gift from a Morristown friend. We are hoping it can be repaired.

The S.S. Savanah

One of the most famous accomplishments of the factory was the production of the entire engine of the S.S. Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The idea for a trans-Atlantic steamship came from Captain Moses Rogers, a close business acquaintance of Stephen’s. Captain Rogers oversaw the creation of the ship, ordering parts from various manufacturers; but he entrusted the critical steam engine to Stephen and the Speedwell Ironworks. It was a dangerous proposition, installing a large steam engine into a wooden boat that could easily catch fire. With many skeptics calling the Savannah the “Steam Coffin”, there was no margin for error in casting and constructing the ship’s engine.

But Stephen and the Ironworks rose to the challenge and successfully produced a steam engine that helped the Savannah cross the Atlantic Ocean in 29 days. The Savannah then went on to visit Sweden, St. Petersburg in Russia, and Norway, meeting praise and admiration at every stop. After its tour of Europe, the Savannah returned to America with its engine still functioning without any problems.

Picture Hanging

During the past 40 years that our Executive Director has been leading the Passaic River Coalition, she has collected quite a few pictures, paintings, and cartoons that have a connection to our organization. One of them finally got hung up last week.

Ella says this is one of her favorite paintings. On a trip to England, she and her husband commissioned an artist to paint a Great Blue Heron. To many river advocates, the Great Blue Heron is a symbol of healthy waterways.

Decorating Willow Hall with our art collection has proved a bit more difficult than initially expected. (But really, hasn't everything here gone that way?) Almost every room in the house is lined with beautiful crown molding. We originally thought we could hang our pictures with fishing line from this molding, museum style. It turns out the crown moldings are made of plaster and that would have been a very bad idea.

Instead we'll be using nails to hang the picture up the old fashioned way. But even this will have be done very carefully so as not to damage the original plaster walls.

Speedwell Iron Works

The Speedwell Iron Works were founded by Stephen Vail (the father of George Vail)in 1807. Stephen was an enterprising blacksmith who transformed his small company that made nails into one of the most innovative producers of mechanical equipment of the day.

Speedwell didn't just manufacture iron products, they invented new equipment In 1835, Stephen developed a durable iron tire for railroad locomotives. This innovation paved the way for the growth the railroad industry in America.

Through the 1830s, as the business prospered at Speedwell, Stephen expanded the ironworks and developed an industrial village. By the 1850s, Speedwell was a well-established and successful manufacturing enterprise employing 45 skilled laborers.
However, by the 1870s, the New Jersey iron industry began to decline as the industry moved westward towards new sources of fuel and raw materials. The Speedwell Iron Works closed in 1873, and three years later the equipment was sold to ironworks in Coatbridge, Scotland and Brooklyn, New York.

You can visit Historic Speedwell Village right here in Morristown! Learn more about this unique historic site at: http://www.morrisparks.net/speedwell/home.html

Stephen Vail

Stephen Vail was born in 1780 in Morristown. He was a blacksmith who married Bethiah Youngs of Morristown i n1801. They had four children who survived into adulthood: Harriet, Alfred, George (who built and owned Willow Hall), and Sarah.

Stephen was an entrepreneur, inventor and a manufacturer. Although not educated himself, he provided his with the best education. Alfred and George were educated at the Morristown Academy while Sarah attended the Moravian Seminary in Bethlehem.

In 1807, Stephen and three other men began operating Speedwell Iron Works. It failed after two years. But Stephen continued and became the sole proprietor in 1815. From then on, it was a success and numerous iron products were produced there: small machine parts, pumps and presses for large mills, papermaking machinery, train parts, among other necessary and profitable items.

Happy Anniversary Willow Hall!

A year ago today, the Passaic River Coalition staff had just secured all of the $1.875 million need to buy Willow Hall and preserve the house and its property. It had snowed the night before and it seemed as though we would never make it to the attorney's office in Chester on time.

But we all made it there safely. Our Executive Director, Ella Filippone, signed the deed, handed over the check, and then made Willow Hall the new headquarters of the Passaic River Coalition.

After 40 years of being renters, the purchase of Willow Hall was truly a new chapter in the history of the Passaic River Coalition. And we feel it is an important new chapter for Willow Hall as well. Using the house as office space is a sustainable use for it and we are working closely with historic professionals to preserve its historic integrity.

It has been busy first year for Willow Hall and the Passaic River Coalition. We look forward to celebrating our accomplishments today and continuing our work preserving the past and opening the doors of Willow Hall to the future.


Willow Hall's previous owner, Frederick Stradtman, symbolically gives a photo of the house to our Executive Director, Ella Filippone, at the property's closing last year.

Willow Hall in New Jersey Countryside

Check out an article about Willow Hall in the January/February Issue of New Jersey Countryside!

Vail Family Tree

Well, it's not exactly a tree diagram, but you'll get the picture.

Stephen Vail (1780-1864)
In 1801, married Bethiah Youngs (1778-1847), had four children:
- Harriet Vail (1802-1828)
- Alfred Vail (1807-1859), con't below
- George Vail (1809-1875), con't below
- Sarah Louise Davis Vail (1811-1887)
In 1848, married Mary Carter Hedges
In 1862, married Phoebe Ann Miller

Alfred Vail (1807-1859)
In 1939, married Jane Elizabeth Cummings, had three children:
- Stephen Vail (1840-1909)
- James Cummings Vail (1843-1917)
- George Rochester Vail (1852-1931)
In 1855, married Amanda Eno

George Vail (1809-1875)
In 1830, married Mary Ann Wilson, had two children:
- Frances Georgianna Vail, con't below
- Mary Louise Vail
In 1856, married Mary Lightfoot (divorced a year later)
In 1862, married Mary Lyman

Frances Georgianna Vail
In 1859, married Herman Bertram of Danzig, Prussia, had two children:
- Stephen Alfred Bertram (b. 1862)
- Frederick Herman Bertram (b. 1863)

Bonus Relative: Theodore Newton Vail, first president of AT&T, was Alfred and George Vail's first cousin

Happy New Year!

A Happy New Year to you from all of us here at Willow Hall.

One of our New Year's Resolution for 2011 is to get back to blogging about the history and happenings here at Willow Hall because there are many stories about this historic house and its residents left to tell.