Uploads from Jay Heritage Center, tagged johnclarksonjay

Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, JC Jay friend and colleague

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:07:12 -0800

(JHC Archives)
Though long associated with Newport, Commodore Matthew C. Perry lived for a time in Westchester circa 1840 - March 1852 at "The Moorings," on the Hudson River near Tarrytown.

Westchester neighbours of Perry's included Washington Irving and friends included John Clarkson Jay of Rye, owner of the Jay Estate.

The Perry estate eventually became part of Rockwood and the Rockefeller preserve.

NYYC Station 10 designed by Alexander Jackson Davis

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:06:11 -0800

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

Postcard of New York Yacht Club's first clubhouse "Station 10" (JHC Archives)

When John Clarkson Jay’s father, Peter Augustus Jay, died in 1843, JC Jay inherited the Rye estate. According to his granddaughter, Laura Jay Wells, it was at this time that Jay purchased a yacht precisely because he would be living on the Sound; he paid $1,500 for it and it was aptly dubbed “La Coquille,” which is a french seashell - - all the more apropos, given his prize array of over 50,000 seashells. It was an augur of even greater things to come. Just one year later, in 1844, JC Jay would make history, along with eight other men including John Cox Stevens, in founding the legendary New York Yacht Club.

John Cox Stevens was a Columbia graduate like many of the Jays; also like the Jays, he was married to a Livingston, Mary Cambridge (John Jay’s wife was Sarah van Brugh Livingston.) This familiarity combined with their shared love of sailing, makes the friendship and camaraderie between Stevens and Jay well understood. It was aboard Stevens’ yacht, Gimcrack, that one of America’s oldest yacht clubs was formed and JC Jay was their first Secretary, serving alternately as Recording Secretary or Corresponding Secretary until 1857. The most sacred document that NYYC owns are the minutes of that first meeting, possibly in Jay’s own handwriting, kept secure under lock and key. Wooden half hulls for the founders’ yachts, with dark, mellow patinas, hang in the lobby of the current clubhouse in Manhattan. Jay’s own yacht, a swift 27 ton, 44 ft long vessel, is represented there and records show it participated in the club’s very first “trial of speed” or regatta on July 17, 1845.

Sailors from every yacht club know the lines of the iconic building that Jay and Stevens used as the first NYYC clubhouse. Named Station 10, it was a modest structure in the carpenter Gothic style designed by the well-known architect, Alexander Jackson Davis in 1845 that was transplanted from Stevens’ estate in Hoboken. But few today know that a strikingly similar structure existed on the Jay Estate in Rye for over 100 years. It is believed that JC Jay commissioned Davis to design an almost identical, gingerbread trimmed pavilion in 1849 for his own property. Its location, known from landscape plans and archival photos, suggests that it had a beautiful view of Rye's Long Island Sound and the boats in Milton Harbor.

www.flickr.com/photos/jayheritagecenter/4241831452/
The Jay Heritage Center
210 Boston Post Road, Rye, New York 10580
Email: jayhc@earthlink.net
Phone: (914) 698-9275
Fax: (914) 835-8547
Website: www.jaycenter.org
Photos: www.flickr.com/people/jayheritagecenter/
Videos: www.youtube.com/user/JayHeritageCenter
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/jayheritage

Ice House/Spring House - Jay Property

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:20:14 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

This 120 + yr old building would have stored ice before the advent of refrigeration. The Jay Property had ponds where ice could have been harvested (and where many Jay children liked to skate!)

John Jay's son, Peter Augustus Jay and his wife Mary Rutherfurd actively took over management of the Jay Property in 1814 as evidenced by early account books that meticulously document expenses and wages paid to servants in Rye. On July 29,1825, Mary Rutherfurd wrote to her cousin about the need to build an icehouse in Rye where they were entertaining frequently: "Tell Uncle I want to consult him about an ice house and other improvements and wish him to taste my homemade bread and rusk. We have bought but one loaf of baker's since we came here. I do not find housekeeping half the trouble that it was in New York, although we have dined but three times alone since we came here, and several times in large number. What do you think of twenty and twenty-two, including my children?"

The building is built directly into the wall and the ground and situated close to where the 18th century farmhouse of "the Locusts" was situated; for convenience, the ice house was sited directly across from the Jay's home. Understanding the historical flow and usage between the buildings on the Jay Property is a critical part of studying the habits of its 19th and 18th century residents.
Learn about ice cutting. www.theheartofnewengland.com/LifeInNewEngland-Ice-Harvest...

The Jay Property is the centerpiece of the National Historic Landmark Boston Post Road District (added to the NRHP in 1982 as NR #82001275 and designated an NHL in 1993.)
tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1844&Resourc...

[O]ne of America's intrinsic sacred sites --'specially special,' if you like -- because a great family's great house and its great and sweeping surrounding landscape have, almost miraculously, both survived intact and are now a permanent part of the America the next centuries of Americans will build." Tony Hiss, Author, Experience of Place.

The Jay Heritage Center
210 Boston Post Road, Rye, New York 10580
Email: jayhc@earthlink.net
Phone: (914) 698-9275
Fax: (914) 835-8547
Website: www.jaycenter.org
Photos: www.flickr.com/people/jayheritagecenter/
Videos: www.youtube.com/user/JayHeritageCenter
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/jayheritage

Hand colored plate from JC Jay's "Catalog of Shells" 1836

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:27:04 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

John Clarkson Jay, John Jay's grandson, owned the Jay Estate from 1843 - 1891. He was a doctor and a respected member of the Lyceum of Natural History in the City of New York like other members of his family including his father Peter Augustus.

Childhood experiences on the Jay estate in Rye fostered Jay's life long hobby for amassing and identifying seashells. JC Jay's passion would culminate in a collection of 50,000 shells and 10,000 volumes of Lamarckian classification of mollusks. This assemblage, widely acknowledged to be the largest of its kind in the world at the time, formed the core of the conchology department of the Museum of Natural History in New York and was a highlight of the Museum's unveiling to the public in 1877 with President Rutherfurd B. Hayes on hand for the event.

JC Jay's equal devotion to sailing (he was one of the co-founders of New York Yacht Club with family friend John Cox Stevens and his own yacht was called "La Coquille for seashell) also put him in the company of other shell collectors like his friend Commodore Matthew C. Perry and gave him access to places to augment his collection.

The Jay Heritage Center
210 Boston Post Road, Rye, New York 10580
Email: jayhc@earthlink.net
Phone: (914) 698-9275
Fax: (914) 835-8547
Website: www.jaycenter.org
Photos: www.flickr.com/people/jayheritagecenter/
Videos: www.youtube.com/user/JayHeritageCenter
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/jayheritage

First Home of the American Museum of Natural History and Jay Shell Collection

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 04:40:36 -0800

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

Westchester Country Club - A Cool/Hot Spot with Geothermal!

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 04:25:55 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

The historic Westchester Country Club in Rye, NY was the site of the Jay Heritage Center's 2010 Preservation Luncheon, December 8, 2010 with Special Guest, renowned designer, and JHC Advisory Board member, Alexa Hampton, author of the new book "Alexa Hampton: The Language of Interior Design." Proceeds benefited JHC programs in American History, Architecture and Landscape Conservation.

What else is cool and hot about Westchester Country Club- it's geothermal heating and cooling system! WCC was a leader in using this technology and it is more than fitting that the Jay Heritage Center which just installed its own geothermal system in a National Historic Landmark hold their event at another forward thinking venue.

www.eifg.org/programs/feature_sept10.asp

Westchester Country Club, originally conceived as the Westchester-Biltomore Hotel, was the idea of hotelier John McEntee Bowman, and it was designed by Warren & Wetmore. Of course Warren & Wetmore are most famous for their designs of Grand Central Terminal and the New York Yacht Club. Question: But what was there before? Answer: A Park. Joseph Park The site of this elegant club was once the 600 acre estate of Joseph Park, president of the legendary Park & Tilford grocery store in NYC until his death in 1903 at which time the land passed to his sons. (In fact Park Drive South and North are named for the Park family.) Joseph Park owned over 1200 acres of property in Rye and Harrison including Whitby Castle where he lived on Boston Post Road in Rye just down the road from the Jay Estate. (Today Whitby is the home of the Rye Golf Club.) A native Rye resident, Park was a good friend, colleague and neighbor of John Clarkson Jay. The two friends shared many interests and were fellow members of the Museum of Natural History. It is not surprising with each of their waterfront estates looking out on Long Island Sound that they were sailors and members of NY Yacht Club. Together they also helped build the current Christ's Church building on the Post Road just a mile or two from their Rye homes.

Burgee of New York Yacht Club

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:11:17 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

What did residents of the Jay Estate on Long Island Sound have in common? A love of sailing beginning with New York Yacht Club co-founder John Clarkson Jay and his descendants followed by Warner Van Norden and Edgar Palmer.

Learn more about the "Legacy of Sailing" at the Jay Heritage Center, Rye, NY
www.flickr.com/photos/jayheritagecenter/sets/721576228082...

(JHC Archives)

John Clarkson Jay's classification of shells

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:06:37 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

Growing up on Long Island Sound in Rye at his family's estate inspired John Clarkson Jay to amass one of the Western world's largest shell collections. Jay is credited with identifying several unique "types" of mollusks whose categorization stands even today. He marked his shells with a definitive "J" as seen above.

JC Jay's unparalleled collection can be viewed today at the Museum of Natural History in NY.

The Jay Mansion circa 1870

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:02:44 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

(JHC Archives)
This late 19th century photo shows the family of John Clarkson Jay, John Jay's grandson, on the front portico of the family's mansion along with a servant with a horse. Notice the absence of the copper beech tree that shades the house today.

Come visit the Jay Mansion this summer and enjoy the porch with us Sundays through October 1 from 2-5pm. October 1 through May 1 by appointment only.

The Jay Heritage Center
210 Boston Post Road, Rye, New York 10580
Email: jayhc@earthlink.net
Phone: (914) 698-9275
Fax: (914) 835-8547
Website: www.jaycenter.org
Photos: www.flickr.com/people/jayheritagecenter/
Videos: www.youtube.com/user/JayHeritageCenter
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/jayheritage
NR#82001275

Under the old elm trees in Rye circa 1870 (photograph by Richard Horton, 2287 Third Avenue, Harlem)

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:01:13 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

(JHC Archives)
This late 19th century photo shows the family of John Clarkson Jay on the veranda of the mansion under the shade of an elegant vase shaped elm tree. The photographer, Richard Horton specialized in outdoor photographs.

John Jay and his descendants planted hundreds of elms on the estate and some still survive to this day. Jay loved trees, something he learned from his father Peter who helped create New York City's first park, Bowling Green before moving the familt to Rye. Jay passed his love of horticulture on to his sons and his grandchildren. In a letter to Peter Augustus Jay who would inherit the Rye estate he said:

"It always give me pleasure to see trees which I have reared and planted, and therefore I recommend it to you to do the same. ...My father planted many trees, and I never walk in their shade without deriving additional pleasure from that circumstance; the time will come when you will probably experience similar emotions."

** Look closely and see how the pocket windows of the dining and drawing rooms are opened to let in the breeze from the Sound.

Come visit the Jay Mansion this summer and enjoy the view with us Sundays through October 1 from 2-5pm. By appointment October 1 to May 1.

The Jay Heritage Center
210 Boston Post Road, Rye, New York 10580
Email: jayhc@earthlink.net
Phone: (914) 698-9275
Fax: (914) 835-8547
Website: www.jaycenter.org
Photos: www.flickr.com/people/jayheritagecenter/
Videos: www.youtube.com/user/JayHeritageCenter
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/jayheritage

1870 Dining Room in 2002 before restoration (and after)

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:36:33 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

The Jay Heritage Center has transformed the once vandalized and graffiti scarred walls of the Jay Dining Room, restoring all elements to the time of John Jay's grandson's residency. This room then becomes a dramatic stageset for programs and an evocative place for discussing the events of 19th Century history from 1843 - 1891 during which JC Jay lived in Rye. From the Civil War to the growth of sailing in New York and the creation of cultural institutions like the Museum of Natural history, studying our American heritage really comes alive in a period setting like this.

The Jay Heritage Center
210 Boston Post Road,
Rye, New York 10580
nysparks.com/historic-sites/39/details.aspx
Email: jayheritagecenter@gmail.com
Phone: (914) 698-9275
Fax: (914) 835-8547
Website: www.jaycenter.org
Photos: www.flickr.com/people/jayheritagecenter/
Videos: www.youtube.com/user/JayHeritageCenter
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/jayheritage

Photo credit: Jay Heritage Center

AJ Davis Cottage on Jay Property, Rye, NY

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:09:40 -0800

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

This is one of the last known photos of an 1849 carpenter gothic cottage designed by architect, Alexander Jackson Davis, the same architect that designed Lyndhurst and New York Yacht Club's (NYYC) first clubhouse in 1844. The small folly/boathouse was situated in such a way to give then owner of the Jay Property and NYYC co-founder, John Clarkson Jay, a magnificent view of Long Island Sound. From this vantage point, Jay could watch the growth of sailing and the increasing number of regattas in Westchester waters.

Though this cottage was taken down in the 1950s, the remaining historic buildings and cultural landscape of the Jay family in Rye were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993 and are open to the public. (Photo: JHC Archives)

Compare with www.flickr.com/photos/jayheritagecenter/4109969552/

Plaque dedicated to John Clarkson Jay in Christ Church, Rye

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 09:25:38 -0800

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

Many members of John Jay's family were instrumental in the founding and ongoing stewardship of one of the oldest churches in Westchester, New York, Rye's Christ Church.

Determined to establish an organized group of worship, Jay's father, Peter Jay (who had settled his family and a 3 month old John Jay in Rye in 1745,) obtained the first charter for the church from King George III on December 19, 1764. Following this successful petition, this religious center, then named Grace Church, thrived. It moved to a second Federal styled church building in 1788 that was made of wood; by this time, Peter Jay and his patronage were regarded so highly that he was one of only 2 individuals given his own pew –the rest were leased by subscription.

Through the years, the church was housed in several different buildings, all located not far from the Jay family estate on Boston Post Road; each new incarnation was designed to accomodate the congregations's growing stature and membership and the Jays steadfastly supported that vision whether it pertained to helping to fund capital expenses, the ministry or land. For example, in 1791, upon her death, John Jay’s sister Anna, left the church 100 pounds for the purpose of enlarging their land holdings. In 1794 the vestry resolved to rename themselves Christ Church. The parish's seal with a new design and logo was presented to its members on September 11th of that same year, appropriately by Peter Jay, who had played such a large role in its history.

In the 19th century, another generation of Jays became active at Christ's Church. A ha-ha installed in front of the Christ Church parsonage in 1841 with monies raised by the women of the parish was possibly inspired by Peter Augustus Jay's own ha-has up the road.

A third church building was erected in 1855 and funded in part by John Jay's grandson, John Clarkson Jay (J. C. Jay) who also donated an organ. The Jays gave more than just money to their community. Notably, from 1861 -1865 during the Civil War, members of the Church formed the Union Defense Committee,and recruited men. A great grandaughter, Cornelia, volunteered at the parish during the war.

J.C. Jay would serve as a warden of Christ Church for 28 years, and also serve as its treasurer; he was a major donor of funds for the current building that was created in 1868, replacing another structure that burned in 1866. In addition to donating funds for construction, in 1875, J. C. Jay established a ten year endowment for clergy in memorium for his son, Rev. Peter A. Jay. (Heartbreakingly, Peter who had assisted in the mass re-dedicating the new building, died of a brain hemorhage but a few years later at the young age of 34.)

The plaque above was dedicated by Jay descendants in 1891.Notice the fleur de lis at the top. The fleur de lis is a stylized flower found in Egyptian architecture long before being identifed with French culture.

Clam and Oyster shells from Jay Property

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:54:08 -0800

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

Clam and oyster artifacts from rich shell middens on the Jay Property. These are from late 18th century soil though collections of these mollusks span many centuries of occupation of the Rye property which extended to Long Island Sound.

John Clarkson Jay and his family celebrated Thanksgiving on November 27th, 1862 by bringing 500 oysters to invalid and wounded Civil War soldiers at a military hospital on David's Island by Davenport Neck, New Rochelle, New York.

Jay Drawing Room late 19th Century, Rye, NY

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:47:11 -0800

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

This photo of the Jay family home in Rye is circa 1870 -1886 at which time the house was occupied by John Jay's grandson, John Clarkson Jay. The historic portraits of JC Jay's grandfather and father inherited by him are seen here hanging in the Jay Drawing Room. Today the originals can be seen at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and NYU Hospital respectively--reproductions hang in their place at the Jay House.

It is fascinating to see these iconic artworks in an original setting. The portrait of Founding Father John Jay on the left is by Gilbert Stuart and instantly recognizable by historians; it is an oil on canvas, started in 1784 after Jay's successful negotiaton of the 1783 Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War. The portrait was not actually completed until 1818 (Stuart was assisted by John Trumbull). The portrait of Peter Augustus Jay on the right is by Asher Durand.

Of special interest is the pier glass (mirror) in the center of the wall; it was still in the house through the 1980s while the house served as a conference center for the Methodist church and it may still be intact but its whereabouts are unknown.

***In an exciting development this December 2010, the painting on the far left hand side of the photo has been donated to the Jay Heritage Center by a direct Jay descendant. It is a painting of John Jay's great granddaughter. Alice Jay. A public unveiling and installation of this original artwork took place in May 2011

(JHC Archives)

tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1844&Resourc...

[O]ne of America's intrinsic sacred sites --'specially special,' if you like -- because a great family's great house and its great and sweeping surrounding landscape have, almost miraculously, both survived intact and are now a permanent part of the America the next centuries of Americans will build." Tony Hiss, Author, Experience of Place.

The Jay Heritage Center
210 Boston Post Road, Rye, New York 10580
Email: jayhc@earthlink.net
Phone: (914) 698-9275
Fax: (914) 835-8547
Website: www.jaycenter.org
Photos: www.flickr.com/people/jayheritagecenter/
Videos: www.youtube.com/user/JayHeritageCenter
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/jayheritage

Compo #4 PA Jay House, Rye, NY

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:32:02 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

This fine detail of a compo anthemion pattern is repeated on many of the interior columns of the 1838 Peter Augustus Jay House. Before restoration.

Hand painted Greek key motif in Jay Dining Room (Rye, NY)

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:18:18 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

This corner of the 1870 John Clarkson Jay Dining Room shows a closeup of a handpainted Greek key motif typical of the period. 21st century paint analysis revealed the composition and hues of pigments that would have been used at the time and the look was recreated.

The wainscoting panels are smaller on the left than on the right to accomodate a fireplace chimney that comes out of the wall at that juncture.

The Jay House at Dawn (Jay Heritage Center, Rye, NY)

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:57:53 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

The Jay landscape early in the morning is a serene and sacred place. One can imagine the pleasure that generations of Jays enjoyed walking these grounds and finding a perfect oasis for contemplation and inspiration.

100+ year old trees can be seen here including the European beech (center). Other notable trees are horse chestnuts, tulip polars, elms, walnuts, shagbark hickories, dogwoods, a cucumber tree, sugar maples, ash, lindens and oaks. It is a veritable arboretum and great outdoor teaching lab.

The centerpiece of this landmark setting is of course the 1838 Jay mansion which is the site for programs in American History, Landscape Conservation and Environmental Stewardship. The Jay Heritage Center is grateful for its partnerships with institutions of the highest caliber including The Preservation League of NY State, The NY Landmarks Conservancy, Columbia University, NY Historical Society, and many more organizations that bring their expertise to the interpretation and preservation of this national American treasure.

1870 John Clarkson Jay Dining Room - 1838 Peter Augustus Jay House (Jay Heritage Center, Rye, NY)

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:00:14 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

Each room of the 1838 Peter Augustus Jay House represents a different family's stewardship and conservation efforts.

The Dining Room has been restored to the period of 1870. Here visitors learn about the life of John Jay's grandson, John Clarkson Jay, co-founder of New York Yacht Club and renowned collector of over 50,000 seashells--this scientifically catalogued trove of specimens was the largest in the world at the time and anchored the aquisitions of Museum of Natural History when the Museum first opened its doors.

Guinevere - Legacy of Sailing Exhibit at Jay Heritage Center (Rye, NY)

nobody@flickr.com (Jay Heritage Center) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:13:44 -0700

Jay Heritage Center posted a photo:

Jay Estate owner and Princeton philanthropist, Edgar Palmer, owned 2 three masted schooners, each dubbed Guinevere and each donated to the US Navy in each of the World Wars for patrol duty.

Visitors to the 1838 Peter Augustus Jay House can learn more about Palmer's many yachts in "A Legacy of Sailing" along with his role in preserving this waterfront National Historic Landmark property which he purchased in 1911.

Palmer no doubt appreciated that he was restoring a historic home with Princeton pedigree (John Jay was married to Sarah Livingston and the Livingstons helped found "The College of New Jersey" the precursor of Princeton) ; as an avid and accomplished sailor, he would have also been excited to be purchasing the home of one of the founders of New York Yacht Club, John Clarkson Jay. Palmer's acquisition was also conveniently located across from American Yacht Club where he served as Commodore.

O]ne of America's intrinsic sacred sites --'specially special,' if you like -- because a great family's great house and its great and sweeping surrounding landscape have, almost miraculously, both survived intact and are now a permanent part of the America the next centuries of Americans will build." Tony Hiss, Author, Experience of Place.

The Jay Heritage Center
210 Boston Post Road, Rye, New York 10580
Email: jayhc@earthlink.net
Phone: (914) 698-9275
Fax: (914) 835-8547
Website: www.jaycenter.org
Photos: www.flickr.com/people/jayheritagecenter/
Videos: www.youtube.com/user/JayHeritageCenter
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/jayheritage