1738 Homestead of Evert Terwilliger & Terry TerwilligerSarah Freer, Gardiner, New York Editor

We have a very full program planned for our special weekend celebration. An agenda and RSVP will be found in the pages inside, but here’s a detailed rundown of our reunion plans.

Friday, July 12th 4 pm: A reception at Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie on Friday afternoon from 4 to 6 will kick off our weekend, a tour of the Samuel Morse mansion from 2 to 4 PM is also available.

Morse Mansion at Locust Grove Samuel F B MorseIf you’ve never been to see the mansion, it’s well worth the visit. It was built in 1851 for the inventor and artist Samuel Finley Breese Morse. It’s well known that Samuel Morse invented the telegraph and the Morse Code used to send telegraph messages. But Samuel Morse was an artist before he was an inventor, producing sculpture and paintings. In 1825 he helped to establish the National Academy of Design with Thomas Cole, Frederick Church, and Asher B. Durand and served as its first president. Some of his paintings are displayed at Locust Grove.

Terwilligers in America, Inc.c/o Historical Society of Shawangunk & Gardiner

P.O. Box 570Wallkill, NY 12589

Volume III: Issue 1Spring 2013

THE 350th ANNIVERSARY of the ARRIVAL OF EVERT TERWILLIGER CELEBRATION – July 12-14th, 2013

Morse’s “Gallery of the Louvre” at National Art Gallery Washington DC

Locust Grove was purchased by a Poughkeepsie socialite family, the Youngs, around 1900. They had some work to do, as the estate had been somewhat neglected after Samuel Morse’s death in 1872. They collected different types of furniture and other household possessions with the intention of making a museum for themselves and eventually for the public. In 1963 the house and grounds were declared the first national historic site in the Hudson Valley. The Youngs’ daughter, Annette Innis Young, lived at Locust Grove for 80 years of her life. She and her parents kept detailed documents about the events that were held at their home, in part because they realized the historical significance of their house and wanted to create a museum with their collections combined with the heritage and the landscapes of Samuel F. B. Morse. In 1975, when Annette Innis Young died, she left behind a trust to maintain the house, which allowed it to become open to the public who could visit and study both the landscape and times of Morse and the unique collections of the Young family. Annette Innis Young also owned the estate in Gardiner called Locust Lawn, which included the 1738 Evert Terwilliger stone house. The Young family were descendants of Josiah Hasbrouck, who had Locust Lawn built in 1814. The Locust Lawn house had been closed up completely with all its furnishings since the early 1880s. Annette Young gave the Locust Lawn estate to the Huguenot Historical Society in 1958. As we Terwilligers well know, the 1738 Evert Terwilliger house was not included with the donation of the rest of the Locust Lawn. The Terwilliger House was purchased in 1973 by the Huguenot Historical Society with funds raised by the then newly formed Terwilliger Family Association. The Terwilliger Family Association financially supported the Terwilliger House for the next 37 years. In 2010 the Huguenot Historical Society transferred the entire Locust Lawn estate, including the Terwilliger House, to the Young-Morse Historical Site, the trust that Annette Innis Young established to care for Locust Grove. The Terwilliger Family Association reorganized and became the independent organization, Terwilligers in America, Inc. in 2011.

Friday, July 12th 6:30 pm: Dinner will follow at the nearby River Station Restaurant. The restaurant is near the Mid-Hudson bridge, and they offer a free shuttle to the Walk Way Over the Hudson. We have opted to request separate dining checks so that we are free to order whatever we’d individually like to have. The River Station Restaurant is the oldest continually operated food, drink & catering restaurant in Poughkeepsie. The view of the bridges and the valley are wonderful and the menu is nicely varied. They have a website if you’d like to see the menu- http://www.riverstationrest.com/.

Saturday, July 13th 8:30 am: Saturday morning will start early with our usual business meeting at the Evert Terwilliger House in Gardiner. There will be our traditional “coffee and crumbs” on the porch. Locust Grove Executive Director Kenneth Snodgrass will once again graciously arrange for the Terwilliger House to be open for us to revisit. The Terwilliger House is not yet open for public tours, so take advantage of this opportunity to see the unique interior.Please don’t leave until we get our “group photo” for this year!

Saturday, July 13th 10am – 4pm: We’ll head north to the town of Hurley for Stone House Day. Stone House Day has been an annual event in Hurley for many years. Hurley celebrated its 350th anniversary last year. The stone houses of Hurley are 200-300 years old. Every year owner-residents of some of these homes open them to the public for tour. It should be a fascinating look at how these wonderful homes have adapted to contemporary use as well as an interesting contrast to the Evert Terwilliger house, which has survived virtually unchanged and un-modernized for all these years. In addition to the house tours, there will be many other activities; a reenactment of 1777 Ulster Militia Encampment,

The 1738 Evert Terwilliger House as it appeared in the early 1970s

A remarkable watercolor rendition of the Terwilliger House painted by Evelyn Terwilliger

guides in colonial attire, crafts and demonstrations, and a Town Library Fair with collectibles and books sales. Be sure to visit the Ulster County Genealogical Society, located downstairs in the Schadewald Community Hall at the Hurley Reformed Church. The folks at the Genealogical Society will be open and will make their Terwilliger materials available for us to see.

Hurley Reformed Church Stone Houses of Hurley

Tickets for the event are available there on the day of the event and are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students and $2 for children 6 -12. However, they are offering a nice discount for advance ticket purchases. Go to the website; http://www.stonehouseday.org for discounted early bird registration forms and for much more information.There are even suggestions for other nearby attractions, just in case Stone House Day isn’t your cup of tea.

Saturday, July 13th 6pm: Our traditional Dutch Treat Dinner will be held at the Hurley Mountain Inn right there on the Main Street in Hurley. This comfortable old hostelry was built in 1830 and appeared in the movie “Tootsie”. The restaurant also features a sports bar. It might be a good place to take a little rest and perhaps refresh yourself with a beverage before dinner. Their menu and other info can be found at http://www.hurleymountaininn.com/home.html .

After dinner, we will adjourn to the Hurley Reformed Church Community Hall for a little fellowship and dessert to wrap up this very busy day.

Sunday, July 14th 8:30 and 10am Worship Services: Sunday morning has traditionally brought us to the Reformed Church of Shawangunk to step back in time and experience the church service so many of our forefathers did, perhaps sitting in the very same pew! The church hosts refreshments at about 11am, after the10am service. The churchyard here has stones marking the final resting place of many Terwilligers and related families. The church has a website too! http://shawangunkreformed.org/

Sunday, July 14th 1pm: Last but not least, our new old friends, the Historical Society of Shawangunk & Gardiner, have agreed to open the DuBois House Museum in the hamlet of Wallkill on Sunday afternoon to greet us and show us the Andries DuBois house. Their usual open house times are Saturday afternoon, so this is a special opportunity for us to visit. Please come by of you can.

The Andries DuBois House in the hamlet of WallkillIn an old print As it was As it is currently

WOW! Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? We have a great group of Terwilliger cousins to thank for all the planning. Ruth Rodenski again has headed the committee that has put together such a fun weekend. Ruth, Terry Terwilliger, Debra Wolffe, Nancy Harste, and Ann Davison have all contributed great ideas and hard work.It’s a bit of driving around Ulster County, but there’s no place more beautiful to sight-see than the homelands of our Terwilliger ancestors. Of course, you can choose which activities you want to participate in, if doing it all is a bit more than you can manage. The RSVP asks you to tell us what activities you will be participating in. This is just to aid us in planning for each activity; you won’t be committed to it if you should change your mind. Lodging abounds in the area, just about any sort you care for, from motel to bed and breakfast. If you don’t have internet access to find your own lodging, or you want a little help finding something suitable, call on one of the board (Ruth Rodenski is local and knows about many of the facilities in the area). We’ll be happy to help you find a place to hang your hat.

The Reformed Church of Shawangunk

The churchyard at the Reformed Church of Shawangunk, also know as the Bruynswick Rural Cemetery

The word affiliation means “to be linked to something or someone”. It means there is a relationship, a connection, an attachment, an association or membership. Affiliation has at its root the Latin word that means literally “to adopt” as in a family relationship.I believe that a natural family-like relationship is inherent with our Terwilliger organization and the Historical Society of Shawangunk & Gardiner. Shawangunk is the original home of the majority of our Terwilliger ancestors. The 1738 Evert Terwilliger house that originally brought our family together is within the confines of the township of Gardiner. The families that populated the Shawangunk area in the early days are the families that our Terwilliger ancestors married into. The names you see all around Shawangunk even today are the names we all know from our own family histories; DuBois, Hasbrouck, Van Aken, LeFevre, Decker, Schoonmaker, Bruyn etc. The well-structured Historical Society of Shawangunk & Gardiner is an incorporated 501c3 non-profit organization headquartered in the hamlet of Wallkill, NY (there’s also a town of Wallkill, but it’s in Orange County). Its membership is nearly all local to the Shawangunk area and includes a few Terwilligers in America Inc. members. HSSG is the owner and stewards of the wonderful Andries DuBois house on Wallkill Ave that in part dates back to 1759 and more recently, another Wallkill property that had housed the local Knights of Pythias chapter. The organization focuses on the history of the area, and while not primarily a genealogical group, naturally has a large amount of material of genealogical interest. In fact, very recently original land grant documents were found in the DuBois house that named specific property granted to Terwilligers! The Dubois house is being restored and will be a fully functioning museum. It is open limited hours even now and displays an old one-room schoolhouse in one of its downstairs rooms. You can see and learn much more about the Historical Society of Shawangunk & Gardiner at their website: http://www.wallkillhistory.com/ .The Historical Society has monthly meetings that are part business and part pleasure, normally featuring a presentation of interest to the area public. This April HSSG Historian Harold VanAken presented “History of the DuBois Lands and House of Andries DuBois in Wallkill”. You can actually see and hear the presentation on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJQKDtym1uc . I highly recommend it if you are interested in the history of the Shawangunk area.TIAI board has reached out to the board of the Historical Society of Shawangunk and Gardiner to express interest in the mission of the Historical Society. We have begun discussions about how the two organizations may complement one another and provide beneficial supports to one another. TIAIs overtures were very graciously received, and we are currently talking about how the two groups might interact. In fact, we have already obtained informal permission to begin to use the Historical Society’s Wallkill address as our own NY address, which is an administrative necessity we have been lacking since our separation from the Huguenot Historical Society. A longtime TIAI member and new HSSG member, Debra Wolff has stepped up to fill a board seat for the Historical Society, and to become a liaison for the Terwilligers with the Historical Society. We would like, with the membership’s approval, to invite a member of HSSG to become an at-large member of our board as well.

PRESIDENT’S LETTER Carolynne Park

Affiliation of TIAI with the Historical Society of Shawangunk and Gardiner

We are not yet sure of all the ways in which the two groups can help each other. Certainly one of the most obvious ways is to promote membership for each group amongst the members of the other group. Some TIAI members already belong to HSSG but it’s possible that many more of us will be interested in joining the Historical Society individually. The TIAI board has voted to join HSSG at a group level. We are investigating the possibility of maintaining “Terwilliger space” in the DuBois house- a place we may be able to house our family organizational files as well as some Terwilliger historical articles that could be available for display. As an presence in the area, HSSG may be helpful in representing our interests in local issues such as lobbying for public access to the Terwilliger cemetery at Locust Lawn. We might also be able to work out a schedule whereby Terwilliger family volunteers could represent the family at the DuBois house when it is open, thus inviting Terwilligers from the old home territory who have yet to discover us into our organization. The Historical Society would welcome Terwilliger help at their many events and functions where we may be geographically able to attend. The members of this group are our literal cousins and it can be fun to be in contact with them just as it is to stay connected ways we can grow together.

This year’s offices for election are Vice-President and Treasurer. Our current Treasurer Terry Terwilliger, has agreed to a nomination for another two year term. Debra Wolff has accepted the board nomination for Vice-President. We are actively seeking nominees for all our board offices and also for committee members for all our committees. Membership and Newsletter committee members are particularly needed. Please call or email Ruth Rodenski (845- 566-0277, RuthARodenski@verizon.net) with your nominations and committee sign ups. We really need and appreciate any and all help!

Member Dr. Arthur C Wassmer (brother of President Carolynne Park) of Gig Harbor, WA passed away June 16th, 2012 after a brief illness. Pearl Terwilliger Ellenberger, 97, of Salt Springs, FL formerly of Bruin, PA passed away on May 10th, 2012

Dean Harry Terwilliger, 79 of Fayetteville, NY on Dec 31 2011

We heartily welcome these new members!

Joseph B. Terwilliger of Farmington WV Trudy Kay Stroupe of Weirton WV Kathryn Terwilliger of Wading River, NY

TERWILLIGER VITAL SIGNS

OTHER BUSINESS

RSVP for 2013 Reunion and 350th Anniversary Celebration

Name ________________________________________________________________

Name ________________________________________________________________

Additional attendees _____________________________________________________

Plan to attend the Terwilligers in America, Inc. 2013 Reunion Weekend

I/we plan

to attend not to attend Friday afternoon reception at Locust Grove

to attend not to attend Friday afternoon tour Locust Grove Mansion $

to attend not to attend Friday evening dinner at River Station $

to attend not to attend Saturday am meeting at the Terwilliger House

to attend not to attend Saturday Hurley Stone House Day $

to attend not to attend Saturday dinner at Hurley Mountain Inn $

to attend not to attend Saturday evening social at Hurley Church

to attend not to attend Sunday morning RC of Shawangunk service

to attend not to attend Sunday afternoon DuBois House visit

You won’t be held firm to your responses in case you change your mind, and we won’t be collecting any funds in advance of any events, but we do need to have reasonable estimates of our numbers before June 28th for our hosts. Items shown with green dollar signs will incur costs to you as well as your costs for lodging and other meals.

Please send your completed RSVP to Carolynne Park, 304 Griffen Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460

If you prefer, you can email your response to Carolynne at carolynnepark@gmail.comPlease use TIAI or Terwilliger in your subject line.

2012-2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT: CAROLYNNE PARK, 610-415-0180, Email: carolynnepark@gmail.comVICE PRESIDENT: JOSEPH B. FITZPATRICK, 518-875-6826, Email: Leppy34@hughes.netTREASURER/NEWSLETTER & WEBSITE EDITOR/GENEOLOGY CHAIRPERSON:

TERRY TERWILLIGER, 4855 E Costilla Pl, Centennial, CO 80122,303-771-5595. E-Mail: terryterw@msn.com tfanews2002@yahoo.comWeb Site: http://lystykds.0catch.com/tfafiles/homepage.htm

SECRETARY / MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON: JENNIFER FREY, Email: jcnovia@msn.com

ASSISTANT TREASURER/HOMESTEAD LIAISON CHAIRPERSON: RUTH TERWILLIGER RODENSKI 845- 566-0277,

Email:RuthARodenski@verizon.net

HONORARY/EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERS:GRACE TERWILLIGER Phone: 973- 586-6206CLARA MARTYNIAK Phone: