Old Sussex Almanack SAVING HORTON MANSION. The Newsletter of Sussex County Historical Society. Letter from the President Musings about 2014

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1 Old Sussex Almanack The Newsletter of Published Quarterly Winter 2014 Letter from the President Musings about 2014 The year 2014 has been a rather busy period for the County Historical Society. We sponsored several lectures, including one in October about Camp Nordland, a German American Bund camp that was located in Andover Township. Eighty people came out to hear that presentation. Your Society also participated in the Sussex County Heritage Weekend October 11 th & 12 th. The Museum was opened to the public and featured a new exhibit Newton: Then and Now. The exhibit featured about 20 historic and contemporary photographs that showed how Newton had been physically changing during the last century. This year, the Town of Newton and the Townships of Andover and Hampton celebrated their 150 th Anniversary. The Society s Board of Trustees has begun to plan for the 100 th Anniversary Celebration of the Hill Memorial Building, our museum. The year 2017 will mark that anniversary and we plan on having a wide-ranging series of celebrations and publications to commemorate this great milestone. Last December, it came to the public s attention that the Board of Trustees at our County Community College was proposing to demolish Continued on Page 4 SAVING HORTON MANSION By Wayne T. McCabe, President Last December, I was in a meeting with Dr. Paul Mazur, President of the Sussex County Community College, concerning the possibilities of adaptively reusing Horton Mansion for purposes of your County Historical Society. The mansion is located in the middle of the college campus. It was during that meeting in December that Dr. Mazur informed me that the recently adopted college Master Plan called for the demolition of the mansion. As a result of this revelation, the Trustees of the Society authorized petitioning the Town of Newton Historic Preservation Commission to locally designate the mansion as a historic site within the municipality. The Commission approved the request and forwarded the petition to the Planning Board. Following a public hearing on the application, the Planning Board voted to recommend the designation to the Town Council. Unfortunately, when the matter was taken up at the public hearing by the Council, the designation was defeated on a 3 to 2 vote. Current Mayor Kevin Elvidge and Councilwoman Sandy Diglio voted in favor of the designation. Following the defeat of the designation request, a few officers and Trustees of the Society decided to hold a series of meetings open to the public to discuss the direction that should be taken. One of the avenues that was decided to be pursued was to start a county-wide petition. It was felt that this would be an appropriate manner to express the desire of the public to save the mansion. The petition was to be directed to the College Trustees and the County Board of Freeholders. It was at this point that Lisa Holder, of Newton, joined the effort to get petitions out to the public. Through the collective efforts of Mrs. Holder and a few officers and Trustees of the Society, more than 1,700 signatures were obtained on the petition. Continued on Page 3

2 Welcome - New Members 82 Main Street, P.O. Box 913 Newton, NJ sussexcountyhs@gmail.com HOURS Friday: 9 am-2 pm; 2nd Saturday of the month: 10 am-2 pm; or by appointment SCHS Officers President Wayne T. McCabe Vice-President Kevin Wright Treasurer Christine Cassidy-Cavanaugh Recording Secretary Nancy Madacsi Corresponding Secretary Peter N. Chletsos Board of Trustees Alex Everitt, Jr., Ruth Ann Whitesell, Myra Snook, Peter N. Chletsos, Wayne T. McCabe, Kiyoshi Hamada, Kevin Wright, Jay Docherty, Christine Cassidy-Cavanaugh Nancy Madacsi, Joseph Santora, Edward Fritsch, Peter Lubrecht PURPOSE The purpose of the Society is to promote public knowledge and interest in the history of Sussex County, New Jersey, and surrounding areas, by compiling, publishing and disseminating information; collecting, preserving and studying historical, genealogical and archaeological records, documents, papers and artifacts; maintaining a museum for public exhibits; promoting the preservation and protection of buildings, cemeteries and other sites of historic interest; and cooperating with other organizations of similar interest. In the last issue of the Old Sussex Almanack, these individuals were erroneously omitted as 2014 new members since their memberships were made prior to January, Our apologies to all & welcome to the! Member City State Type David V. Hoppe Milford PA LIFE Susan A. Hubbard Chester NY Individual Elizabeth H. Karlson Yaphank NY Individual Susan Long Bethlehem PA Individual Ed Mulligan Teaneck NJ Family William Orn & Lisa Holt Stillwater MN Family David Perez Newton NJ Individual These following individuals are newly enrolled members for the years Member City State Type Joyce Jennings Stanhope NJ Individual Janice MacDaniels Poughkeepsie NY Individual Vivian Meudt Newton NJ Individual Daryla Shearer Branchville NJ Individual Judy Smith Sparta NJ Individual Linda Stump Rossville GA Individual Mark Willis Andover NJ Individual Board of Trustee Meetings The regular meeting of the Board of Trustees is held every month on the third Monday. Upcoming meeting dates are: Monday, Jan 19, 2015 at 7:00 pm Monday, Feb 16, 2015 at 7:00 pm Monday, Mar 16, 2015 at 7:00 pm All SCHS Members are Welcome to Attend Trustee Meetings 2

3 Saving Horton Mansion continued from page 1 The second avenue that was pursued was the development of a proposal to be submitted to the College Trustees regarding the preservation of the mansion. It should also be noted that during the spring of this year, the college administration had the engineering firm of CP Engineers prepare the bid specifications for the demolition of the mansion. These documents were released to the public and a total of 3 bids were received from contractors. The lowest bidder submitted a bid of about one quarter of a million dollars, with the other two bids being in excess of $400,000. Although the college had formally received the bids, no formal action was taken to award the contract. THE PROPOSAL The proposal for the rehabilitation of the Horton Mansion was the result of a luncheon meeting that took place on June 26 th between Ed Fritsch (President of Sparta Township Historical Society and Chairman of the Sussex County Alliance), Wayne T. McCabe (President of the, and Sussex County Historian), Paul Mazur (President of the County Community College) and Glenn Gavan, Esq. (Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the County Community College). This meeting was held at the suggestion of Mr. Gavan during the latter portion of the Board of Trustees meeting on June 22 nd. At that meeting, it was agreed that the proposal would be submitted to the Executive Board of the College Board of Trustees. Following that meeting, approximately twenty members of the public met at the Museum of the County Historical Society on June 30 th. At that meeting, many ideas were discussed in terms of the use of the building and the manner by which the needed funds could be raised. A lengthy proposal was developed, calling for a two-year moratorium on demolition, during which time no request would be made to designate the Horton Mansion a historic site. Additionally, during that two (2) year period, a non-profit organization would be established, with three members of the new Trustee Board to include members of the College Board of Trustees, administration and staff. The College administration and Trustees would be responsible for determining the most appropriate use for the building that will meet the needs of the college community. Further, during this time frame, funds will be raised and directed toward the stabilization and temporary mothballing of the Horton Mansion. At the outset of this two year period, a historic structure analysis would be developed based on the existing conditions of the mansion and its proposed future use. From this report, architectural plans for the rehabilitation of the Mansion and development and institution of the capital funding campaign would take place. The 24 page proposal was submitted to President Mazur and was then scheduled to be heard by the full Trustee Board, following a review and recommendation by the Finance and Facilities Committee of the Board. After considerable discussions with the college administration, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the proposal for the 2 year moratorium on demolition, along with specific conditions. This approval was memorialized by the Board on November 24 th with the adoption of a formal agreement that stipulated all of the conditions that had been agreed upon. The group of individuals who were responsible for ushering through the proposal have an ongoing dialog with the college administration and Trustee Board and raising funds for the adaptive reuse of Horton Mansion. The actual amount of funds and scope of Continued on Page 6 3

4 Sering P. Bowers et ux vs Fanny Swartswelder, et al (File F12-608) Complaint filed 7/22/1874 Genealogical Information from Chancery Court Cases By Richard M. Stevens Andrew Swartswelder owned a small farm at Middleville in Stillwater Twp. He also owned three parcels of undeveloped land near the Warren Co. line: a total of 78 A., which he had inherited from his father John Swartswelder. Andrew died about 2/12/1865, leaving his widow Fanny and six children. This suit was brought by one of his daughters to have the land sold. There was no opposition. On 3/13/1875 the farm was sold to Oscar Andress for $4896. After an adjournment, the vacant land was bought in by Sering P. Bowers for $1278. The Master determined Fanny should receive $950 for her dower right. However, the Court only awarded her $670. I believe the reduction was because the vacant land had not really been sold, but was held by Bowers as a trustee for all the heirs. In February 1876 the case was reopened after Levi Shepherd, the Master handling the case died before all the money was received and distributed. A new Master was appointed, and the case ended. Genealogy: 1. ANDREW SWARTSWELDER: married to Fanny(2); children: Elizabeth H.(3), Susanna(4), Margaret C.(5), Michael(6), John C.(7), Elba(8); deceased 2/12/ FANNY SWARTSWELDER: wife of Andrew Swartswelder; 63 years old in November 1874; living in Sussex Co. in ELIZABETH H. SWARTSWELDER: daughter of Andrew Swartswelder; living in Sussex Co. in SUSANNA SWARTSWELDER: daughter of Andrew Swartswelder; living in Sussex Co. in MARGARET C. BOWERS; daughter of Andrew Swartswelder; wife of Sering P. Bower; living in Washington, Warren Co. in MICHAEL SWARTSWELDER: son of Andrew Swartswelder; living in Sussex Co. in JOHN C. SWARTSWELDER: son of Andrew Swartswelder; married to Sidna A. nee Lanning; living in Sussex Co. in ELBA A. SWARTSWELDER: daughter of Andrew Swartswelder; deceased w/o issue 6/2/1866. [President s Message - Cont. from front page] the historic and architecturally significant Horton Mansion, which is located on the college campus. Through the efforts of several of the Society s Trustees and officers, and the support of over 1,700 residents of our county who signed petitions to oppose the demolition of the mansion, the college has reversed its position (see the front page article about the Horton Mansion). We are thankful for this opportunity we have been given to save this mansion. This upcoming year will also be a busy one. We are planning on having more lecture and presentations, sponsoring the County History Day in September and taking part in other county-wide events relating to the history of our communities. On behalf of the, let me wish each of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and Happy and Healthy New Year. Wayne T. McCabe, President 4

5 FOCUS ON GENEALOGY By Valerie Stern, CG SCHS Member With the growing interest in finding family roots, there has been an explosion of information and, unfortunately, misinformation on the internet. Part of earning the title of Certified Genealogist means adhering to a genealogical proof standard. Keeping the standards in mind, I would like to offer some tips for doing your family research in Sussex County and its surrounds, starting with this newsletter and continuing in each successive newsletter. Online family trees often have very few references and citations to back up the facts they present. Citing somebody else s online family tree does not provide valid evidence, even if 100 other trees have the same fact! Evidence is built up from original sources, preferably containing information given by someone who was there at the time of the event. Therefore a search must be done for these original documents before considering anything less. You may find something possibly useful online, or at archives, a historical society, or a library. Before leaping to conclusions, ask yourself if the source is original. Is it a photograph of a headstone or is it the information from a headstone that someone else has transcribed? Is it a birth certificate or is it a date recalled by someone writing a grandfather s obituary? A photo image of a ship s passenger list, or an index in a book about immigrants? Each time information is transcribed, it is another a step away from the original source. With every step, there is room for human error. Many times, especially the further back in time you go, original and primary records are lost or never even existed. What else can you find to back up a secondary source of information? Lacking direct evidence of a fact, you must build up a case from indirect evidence. The more sources of indirect evidence you can find, the stronger your case. However, beware the temptation to throw out information that does not jive with what you are trying to prove, or would like to believe! That person who just couldn t be a sibling because he was the only one born three states away? He just might be a sibling. That will blow your whole theory of when the family came to The United States? Yes, maybe. But it must be investigated with the same care you use to pursue facts that fit nicely within your schematic. In the next newsletters, I will explore sources, some popular and some lesser known, and suggest techniques to help sort out the dilemmas of genealogical research: (1) not enough information and (2) TOO MUCH information. Which one describes your search? 5

6 REMINDER [Saving Horton Mansion continued from page 3] work to be undertaken will not be known until the Historic Structure Analysis is completed. In accordance with the agreement with the college, the non-profit organization must be established within 60 days of November 24 th, and the analysis report has to be completed within 4 months of that date. As a result of a concerted effort by several individuals, Horton Mansion has been pulled back from the brink of destruction. Now, it is up to the non-profit organization and the citizens of Sussex County to come to the aid of the mansion. SAVE these Dates for Future SCHS Events March 14, SCHS Spring Luncheon March 31, History Alliance Meeting April 7, 2015 (at 7:30 pm) - Annual SCHS Meeting September 19, County History Day IT IS TIME TO PAY YOUR 2015 MEMBERSHIP DUES, PLEASE SEND CHECK TO: P.O. BOX 913, NEWTON, NJ OR PAY ONLINE AT: Membership Application is on the next page. The needs your support to continue moving forward with the maintenance and needed improvements to the Hill Museum and for new educational programming and community outreach. Only up-to-date paid members are allowed at the SCHS Annual Meeting on April 7th, THANK YOU 6

7 Application Dues for 2015 Phone (973) Mailing Address: The Museum & Library P.O. Box Main Street Newton, New Jersey Newton, NJ Below are the categories of membership: ( ) Individual membership - $20.00 ( ) High School/College membership - $15.00 ( ) Senior Citizen (over 60) membership - $15.00 ( ) Family membership - $30.00 ( ) Life Membership - $ ( ) Business membership - $ ( ) Historical Societies from Sussex County - Free ( ) Historical Organizations outside Sussex County - $20.00 Please make your membership check payable to the. Your membership category may be shown on the address label. If you want to change your category, indicate above. Dues and contributions to the society are deductible within the limits of the Federal Income Tax Law. Renewal New member Name Address City State Zip Address Home phone: Cell Phone Check number: Check Amount: $ 7

8 Submissions WelcomeD Do you or your organization have a story or historical tidbit to share? Do you have an idea for an article you would like to write for the Old Sussex Almanack? If so, please contact the Old Sussex Almanack Editor at Or Attention: Editor sussexcountyhs@gmail.com SCHS COMMITTEES SCHS members are encouraged to get active in the Society. There is such a variety of opportunities that one is sure to capture your interest. Come on out and volunteer on one or more of our committees - Nominating; Finance; Programs and Special Events; Building and Grounds: (includes the Old Newton Cemetery); Museum; Library & Genealogy; Membership and Development (includes communications, publicity, technology and website). If you are interested or want more information, us at sussexcountyhs@gmail.com, Call and leave a message or drop by and visit. P.O. Box Main Street Newton, NJ